Impact of sports and recreation on teenagers: A case of India

This research examines how participation in sports impacts teenagers academic performance and overall health. With evidences from Indian teenagers (13-19 years). The study is mainly based on secondary research such as government reports, academic papers, to understand the impact of sports on teenagers. Additionally the paper asseses national sports policies and programme on teenage development. The findings reveal how policies have evolved and government has approched to integrate sports with the education curriculum. India ranks C grade for overall physical activity among teenagers, while there is a concerning issue about infrastructure accessibility (D grade) and sedentary behaviour patterns. After analysing Khelo India initiative it was found that 267 Infrastructure projects, 24 state centres of excellence, supporting 18,000 have been established. There has been increase in scholarship allocation after 2014 through different government schemes. There is a gap in the literature on age-specific data for teenage athletes. This research highlights infrastructure disparities affecting marginalised athletes, the challenge of balancing athletics and academics. The government has launched various programmes with the aim of representing Indian athletes at global platforms from the grassroots level; however, the challenge is in finding a career in sports.