Indian badminton national coach Pullela Gopichand has ignited a debate with his remark that middle-class families should reconsider pursuing sports seriously. His statement drew mixed reactions — while some disagreed, others, including investor Dilip Kumar, backed his viewpoint.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kumar stressed the harsh reality of professional sports. “Gopi is right. The reality is brutal — less than 1% of aspiring athletes make it big, and even those who do are left with little security once their careers are over,” he wrote. Comparing sports to startups, he added, “Sports, like startups, have a power law distribution — 10% of players make 90% of the money. Everyone else is a statistic.”
Kumar pointed out that underdog success stories create a misleading narrative. “We love to read and watch the underdog story — the kid from nowhere who makes it to the top. But that’s survivorship bias. For every one success, there are tens of thousands who trained just as hard but got nothing. The real question is: why does sports have to be a gamble?” he said.
He noted that outside the top 1%, most athletes struggle. “You don’t get sponsorships, you don’t have financial security, and once your career ends — usually in your late 20s or early 30s — you’re left scrambling for what’s next,” he added.
Kumar contrasted India’s sports system with developed nations where structured leagues, college scholarships, and post-career opportunities provide stability. “If you don’t become an Olympic champion, you can still earn a living as a coach, analyst, trainer, or minor league player. The system doesn’t discard you the moment you’re not in the top 1%,” he said.
He compared this to other career paths, arguing that an engineer who fails at a startup can still find a job, but a failed athlete often has no backup. “That’s why in most countries without strong sports ecosystems, success in sports correlates with wealth. You can’t afford to be an athlete unless you can afford to lose,” he stated.
Kumar said the problem lies in the system, not the athletes. “Right now, telling a poor kid to pursue sports is like telling them to buy lottery tickets as an investment strategy. Until we change that, Gopi’s words will remain true. And that’s a failure — not of the athletes, but of the system.”
He emphasized that a strong sports structure benefits society beyond just producing champions. “A great sports system doesn’t just create champions — it creates a nation of resilient, disciplined, and competitive people. And that’s the foundation of real development,” he wrote.
Drawing a comparison with cricket, Kumar highlighted its well-established ecosystem. “It has a full-stack ecosystem — academies, domestic leagues, sponsorships, and post-retirement careers. A kid doesn’t have to be rich to start. They don’t have to win a World Cup to make a living. There’s a pipeline — district cricket, Ranji, IPL, commentary, coaching, endorsements. Even a mid-tier player can earn well,” he said.
In contrast, he pointed out the lack of similar structures in other sports. “Now look at every other sport. Where’s the structure? Where’s the fallback? If you don’t make it to the Olympics, you disappear. Cricket didn’t become an industry by accident. It was built. The same needs to happen for all other sports,” he wrote.
Kumar concluded with a call for systemic reform: “Not everyone has to be a gold medalist — just like not every cricketer plays for India. But they should still have a viable career.”