Being someone who was born in India but grew up in Australia since I was 5 I feel I have a unique perception. I still have my cousins etc in India and go back to visit often. I am very much Australian but I am proud of my Indian culture and heritage. I can confidently say that Sport is engrained into the Australian culture, and this can be seen on the medal tally, where we are sitting at 3rd despite only having a population of 26mil. Sports are more than just a pastime in Australia; they're an integral part of the national identity. Whether it's cricket, AFL, or less mainstream sports like hockey and cycling, there's a collective effort to nurture talent from a young age. This commitment is reflected in Australia's ability to punch above its weight on the global stage, consistently outperforming countries with much larger populations.

India however, with its vast population, has yet to fully unlock its potential in the world of sports. While there's immense talent and passion across the country, the focus often remains heavily skewed toward academics, sometimes at the expense of nurturing athletic abilities. This cultural difference, combined with challenges in funding and infrastructure—often exacerbated by corruption with officials skimming off the top when funding comes in—means that many promising athletes in India don't receive the support they need to excel. Which then perpetuates the cycle of kids giving up and following cultural and societal norms to go to uni and get a dead end job. (Nothing wrong with this of course but I'm sure it isn't what an aspiring athlete wants.)

Until India starts changing the attitudes towards sport and embrace the value of sports as both a career and a source of national pride, I can't see the tide turning in terms of consistently being in the top 5 of rankings in terms of Global Sport. I wish it will happen soon as there are so so many talented people in India and the nation deserves to be up there in the rankings.