Mumbai: A one-of-a-kind sports-focused survey, by sports brand PUMA India and reputed research & analytics firm Nielsen Sports, has unearthed startling insights that indicate a huge lag in inspiration in the country to pursue physical fitness, even as India is witnessing a growth in the adoption of sports culture. The exclusive study was conducted to deep dive into the nation’s perception and extent of participation in sports and fitness activities among adults and kids in the country.
The PUMA – Nielsen report stated:
· In the last 12 months, 68 per cent of adults in Urban India claimed to have participated in fitness-related activities.
· Only 20 per cent of adults in urban India meet the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended index of a minimum of 150-300 minutes of physical exercise per week.
· Kids spend a mere 86 minutes of the WHO-recommended 420 minutes or more on an average per week. Shockingly, this is less than that of Adults who invest 101 minutes of fitness activity per week.
· Kids in the East region spend the most time playing sport & fitness (125 minutes per week), vs the West at lowest average (68 mins)
· Direct correlation was found between Kids with high sports participation and improved academic performance.
· Among Adults that exercised in the last 12 months, more Females (42 per cent) participated in sports & fitness related activities on a daily basis than Males (36 per cent).
· Adults with high sports participation are likely to exhibit more positive emotions than adults in general by 21 per cent.
· Yoga (37 per cent), Jogging (29 per cent), Running (28 per cent) and Cricket (28 per cent) are the most actively participated sports & fitness related activities by adults, in the last 12 months.
· 54 per cent adults prefer self-guided workouts post pandemic.
Both kids and adults listed Lack of Time as the primary barrier to participating in sports and physical activities, followed by other challenges such as lack of facilities and high cost.
The shocking report, which is part of PUMA’s sports-focused study on the ‘Let There Be Sport’ initiative, has emerged as the catalyst for the country’s leading sports brand to become the driver of change and champion the cause of prioritising sport and fitness in the country.
Based on the report findings, PUMA launched the ‘Let There Be Sport’ campaign featuring Virat Kohli, MC Mary Kom and Sunil Chetri today to question the conventional mindset that sports is a digression from academics. The brand affirmed to champion the cause of sport and advocate it as a life skill. The movement comes with the aim to disband the word ‘extra’ used typically for the subject of sport and integrate it into the main curriculum of educational institutions across the country.
Commenting on the report and its findings, PUMA India and Southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly said, “As a nation, we have witnessed a fundamental change in the adoption of sports culture with far more running communities, gyms and people taking up different sports. However, we have just scratched the surface and have miles to go. The PUMA - Nielsen Sport study proves that there are still significant areas for development. The study indicates the growing need to create awareness and inspiration among adults and kids to play more sports as well as illustrates the myriad ways in which sport adds value to life. There is a direct correlation between sports participation in kids and improved academic performance and positive emotional wellbeing. A strong sports culture brings out the best in people and is critical for the development of a country.”
The PUMA-Nielsen sports survey was conducted across 16 cities, with 4280 respondents aged from 18-65 years of age (including parents of kids aged between 6-18).
“PUMA’s new platform, Let There Be Sport, will be our priority this year. It will promote and encourage sport and fitness as a life skill. We will heavily invest in creating awareness towards sports adoption at a mass level, build more moments of inspiration, continue to support grassroot athletes and work closely with key stakeholders across sectors to integrate sports and fitness into the main curriculum. In five years, we are confident that a sports-focussed survey will yield better insights in India,” added Ganguly.
Under the new campaign, PUMA also released a digital film today featuring its brand ambassadors Virat Kohli, MC Mary Kom, Sunil Chhetri, Avani Lekhara, Bhagwani Devi and everyday athletes. Created by Ogilvy & Mather India, the 90-second film launched on PUMA India’s social handles on Instagram, Twitter and YouTube, captured the archetypal need to call sport an extra-curricular activity, and in turn advocated the increased adoption of sports culture to foster the overall development of the nation.
Nielson Sports has a history of presenting a clear and comprehensive picture of the sporting landscape and its association with PUMA to bring out this revolutionary report, is a game-changer for the upliftment of sports in the country.
Nielsen Sports & Entertainment managing director for APAC & MENA Denise Menasan said, “A study was commissioned by PUMA India to help understand the views of sports in India and how sports & physical activity impacts other aspects of our life, such as emotional wellbeing, academics and employability. While there have been multiple initiatives to boost fitness-related activities, our study indicates that more needs to be done in this space. The study highlights that an increase in sports and fitness activities can help enhance overall emotional wellbeing amongst adults, help learn valuable life skills and increase academic grades of kids. We hope this campaign from PUMA India inspires people to become more physically active in their day-to-day activities and equips government agencies with data to frame new policies.”
PUMA has been actively contributing to the rise of sports culture in the country and this report will go a long way in helping the brand fulfil its goal of creating a sports-friendly and fit India.
