How Indian sports-parents are moulding tomorrow’s champions

In 2014, when on a family vacation, the then 6-year-old Zara Anand entered a local tournament in Florida and won it by 10-strokes. Instantly, her parents knew that she had the talent to make it big.

Soon thereafter, they began nurturing her talent, but the family realised very quickly that the path was going to be long and an arduous one.

In India, parents are taking over the sports narrative, away from the spotlight and from institutions. Parents now play a multi-role role in their children's sports careers, serving as emotional supports, fundraisers, and organisers of travel.

'A buffer between young athletes and costs'

From the moment young Zara showed promise, the Anand family began crafting her environment with international adaptability in mind—tournaments were planned in varied climates, exposure to diverse cuisine and conditions were scheduled, and a gradual focus on performance sustainability began.

“This was never a project with deadlines,” her father told The Bridge. “Golf is a marathon. We focused on building her love for the game, not just chasing medals.”

In contrast, Shiksha Jain, now 14, is at an earlier, but highly promising phase of her journey. With 87 tournament wins and elite mentorship under Dronacharya awardee Jesse Grewal, she recently entered the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR)—a key milestone in any golfer’s career.

Just like Zara, Shiksha’s growth has been entirely home driven. Her parents oversee her daily training, fitness, mental conditioning, tournament planning, and fundraising. But as is the case with several youngsters playing sports that are not easy on the pocket, there are barriers.

A recent growth spurt changed Shiksha’s swing mechanics—requiring new clubs costing over ₹2.25 lakh. The family is currently managing every detail of her progress—but, as her father Sunny Jain acknowledges the challenges.

“We are approaching the limits of what one household can carry alone,” he tells The Bridge.

“Parents today are the buffer between young athletes and the overwhelming cost of chasing excellence,” Zara’s father reflects. “We don’t replace institutions—we step in where they haven’t yet arrived.”

Start small, build smart

What unites these families isn’t just belief—it’s strategy. They did not begin by buying expensive equipment or forcing wins. They began by nurturing joy, adaptability, and discipline.

“At six, we didn’t care what ball she used,” recalls Zara’s father. “We cared whether she looked forward to playing.”

Shiksha’s mother, Megha Jain, echoes this sentiment.

“We weren’t obsessed with medals. We wanted her to enjoy the process and adapt to challenges—be it food, fatigue, or failure,” she says.

Such value-driven parenting can now be seen across disciplines. While golf demands a high financial commitment—₹10–12 lakh annually for training, gear, and travel—similar pressures exist in swimming, tennis, motorsport, and athletics. Most families manage this with little to no institutional backing.

Some restructure careers to travel with their children. Others schedule their entire year around tournament calendars and international exposure opportunities.

Zara’s father stresses cultural adaptability as a non-negotiable: “Many Indian athletes struggle abroad due to climate, food, or social discomfort. We made sure Zara didn’t.”

“You can read every book,” he adds, “but instinct as a parent will often tell you what your child really needs.”

The road ahead

This quiet revolution isn’t limited to one sport. Across tennis, swimming, motorsports, and athletics, parents are becoming the scaffolding behind rising athletes.

Some quit jobs. Others restructure their entire lives around their athlete-children. Families like Zara Anand’s plan their calendars around international exposure so their children can adapt to any climate or culture.

“In India, we aren’t exposed to many cultures early on,” says her father. “That’s why players struggle overseas. We removed those barriers from the start.”

This is belief, yes—but also strategy. Yet even the most dedicated households hit limits: rising costs, mental pressure, and burnout.

If India is serious about becoming a global sporting powerhouse, we must support the supporters.

“Parents today are doing what institutions should be doing,” says elite coach Jesse Grewal. “If we want global champions, we need to back them.”

Initiatives like Khelo India, private foundations, and crowdfunding platforms offer hope, but consistency and scale are missing. We need grassroots grants, mentorship programs, and structured pathways that treat parents as partners, not bystanders.

“Some girls grow up with dreams,” says Sunny Jain.

“Others, like Shiksha, grow up with goals.”

In today’s India, parents are no longer just cheerleaders—they are the system itself. And that transformation—from dreamers to designers—may be the country’s most powerful, untapped sporting edge.