Piyush Seth of First Medical Services is a fierce cricket fan and
player, like many in India. This is a passion that has come from
childhood, playing as Captain for his school, before competing
interstate for his university while studying engineering. Though his
career has now taken over and the majority of his time is taken up
either launching medical technology startups or spending time with his
family, he still manages to spend time playing with his local club.
This
is a fairly normal attitude for Indian businessmen, with
cricket being
the most popular sport across the nation. As the British are fanatical
about soccer, the Kiwi’s about rugby, in India cricket is the staple for
anyone young boy being raised. It is sport that has played a huge role
in both the nation’s culture, politics and identity.
Many
consider it odd that India would take on cricket. For one it is not a
cheap game, requiring both space and fairly expensive equipment,
something that is not available to many average Indians. Plus, it is a
game that was brought to India’s shores by a rather brutal and
dictatorial foreign power - namely the British Empire. But it is
surprisingly the colonial past that set cricket on its route to becoming
the nation’s favorite.
As reported by the Economist, it was
wealthy Indian businessmen desperate to impress the colonial masters
that set this game to be the sport of the Indian elite. This gave the
sport the status of being about class and superiority, something that
people look up to. This then also means that anyone who exceeds in this
sport professionally, not only is a respected sportsman, but also a part
of an elite tradition.
These sporting legends are indeed held in
esteem. One example is Sachin Tendulkar, a retired batsman, who has
been awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest honor in India; and then
there is the social status and political power of men like Imran Khan in
neighboring Pakistan. There are not many countries that would list
cricket as a way to gain political office, but this is the reality for
these two nations, both fanatical as the other when it comes to cricket.
Much
of this is unlikely conscious in the mind of the average Indian fan
though, with their national sport simply their favorite pastime since
they were young; which is normal. But unquestionably, they do seem to be
the most avid cricket fans in the world, with 400 million tuning in to
watch should the national Indian team play.
It is a sport that
has a long and complicated past in India, but also a game that conjures a
lot of passion and love. This is why men like
Piyush Seth First Medical Services continue to make it one of their favorite hobbies into
their middle age, simply for the love of the sport.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imran_Khan
https://www.jstor.org/stable/651075?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents
http://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2014/02/economist-explains-1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cricket_in_India