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Vishal Thakur

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Dreams App

Project

This project was done as a part of Google's UX Design certification.

Timeline

2 Months

2021-22

Problem Statement

The sports industry is booming across the globe. Athletes from India have proven themselves at the top of the game on both a national and international level without a doubt.

However, India has had far less success in sports compared to other countries despite being the second most populous country in the world.

1

Hypothesis

Below are some of the reasons:

1. Lack of support to athletes

- In India, there are many great athletes who do not pursue their career in sports due to financial reasons, training issues, etc.

- Despite reaching a certain level of accomplishment, these athletes find it difficult to sustain their success due to a lack of opportunities and no support from the authorities, thus losing hope to continue their sports careers.

- Below are the some examples:

2. Lack of Sport awareness

In India, sports awareness is a major concern. Cricket is still considered the only popular sport in India. In schools and in childhood, we have seen and experienced the way sports are viewed. Lockdown has even led to a deterioration of sports culture.

2 Research

Secondary Research

In the Tokyo Olympics 2020, India had one of the best performances, but in comparison with other countries they ended up far behind in the medals tally.
India competed in only 18 of 46 Olympic sports, where as China & USA participated in 30+ sport events. This means that Indian athletes were even unable to qualify for participation in other sports.
Below is India's Tokyo 2020 Olympics comparison with USA & China:

There have been many articles on India's problems with sports.

Based on the above articles, below are the findings:

Negatives

Sports is never a priority for a majority of Indian parents and their kids.
Lack of facilities at the grass root level is a major problem. Schools and colleges lack basic facilities that can encourage other sports, so even if someone has a natural talent in a particular sport, it gets crushed at the school level itself.
Cricket continues to dominate India's sporting landscape. Sports other than cricket are not given much weightage as a career option.
The governing boards of the sports federations are under the control of politicians and bureaucrats who have little or no interest and knowledge of the specific requirements and anticipated problems in that sport.

Positives

However recently, the government and many other sporting organizations have taken massive steps to sort out India's sporting mess and this revolution has taken the country by storm.
The grassroots initiative have provided opportunities for young kids to showcase their talent at a school and college level. It also has awarded scholarships to talented kids to ignite their passion towards the sport.

Primary Research

We interviewed 10 sports fans ranging in age from 18 to 60 years old to understand what they think about sports culture in India.
Apart from the general interview, below were the common questions that were asked:
1. What sport or sport tournaments do you usually follow?
2. India has the worst population to medals ratio at the Olympics. What according to you is the reason for this?
3. Where do you watch sport events?
4. Which sport(s) do you follow regularly?
5. If given the chance would you like to contribute in any way possible to the future of Indian sports with in return of equal value to your contribution?
6. How do you feel if any Indian athlete does well in any sport? Would you be willing to celebrate their victory by contributing a small amount?

Findings from the interview:

Negatives

A majority of people still consider cricket to be a financially secure sport.
A lack of good nutrition is also a reason for athletes not performing well at the international level.
Lack of sport facilities is the major issue in India's sport development.

Positives

Live streaming on OTT platforms has played a part in raising awareness for sports.
Sport medals influence more people to consider careers in sports.
People are more likely to donate in sports if there is a historical moment to mark or if the player is from their state/hometown.

Pain Points - Below are the pain points highlighted based on research and interviews:

Lack of sport facilities & coaching expertise

Lack of nutritional awareness among athletes

Lack of awareness of less popular sports

Providing support directly to athletes is difficult

Possible Solutions

Organize fund-raising campaigns for athletes

Organizing fund raising campaigns will assist local athletes in continuing their sport careers.
These campaigns can also be created for schools/colleges in rural areas to build sport facilities for students.

Arrange sports, nutrition, etc. sessions online by athletes

Arranging sports sessions in schools and colleges by top athletes will encourage children from a young age to take part in sports.
Students will gain knowledge about athletes' journeys, nutrition, and fitness importance through these sessions.

Organize competitions between teams at the school and the state level

Organizing tournaments of less popular sports at the local and district level will help them improve their performance.

Raising funds by streaming sports events live. Eg: Superchat in YouTube

Over the last few years, OTT platforms have flourished. Superchats on live matches or historical sporting moments can be used to raise money that can be donated to different campaigns.