Pullela Gopichand turns moderator in online interaction with physical literacy guru Margaret Whitehead

Physical literacy is a concept that not many have fully grasped, just yet. But it's a very important one that brings together physical education and the knowledge of understanding the body's requirements for physical activity, for greater fitness and then focuses on spreading that knowledge and making people 'physically literate'.
Educator, philosopher and writer on physical literacy, Margaret Whitehead, also known as the 'mother' of the modern interpretation of the concept is a leading light in the field that aims at guiding people on their physical journeys. She was also instrumental in setting up the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA) in 2014.
On Thursday Margaret Whitehead and Nigel Green, a former senior lecturer in physical education at Liverpool John Moores University and a member of IPLA joined Chief National badminton coach and physical literacy promoter Pullela Gopichand for an interaction titled "Physical literacy: For Nation's development" via an online portal. The interaction saw the participation of over one hundred people, from various fields, including Indian athletes.
TimesofIndia.com was invited to attend the session.
Moderated by Gopichand, the interaction focused on a number of topics linked to physical literacy like - what it really means, the challenges, how it can be promoted and nurtured more in India, the overall attitude towards physical education, especially in schools and what the global lockdown has revealed about people's need for physical activity.

"Physical literacy is a very important part of our life. I think physical activity needs to take centre stage. Health, fitness and all of these things are important especially in these days of COVID-19. We see the need for it more and more," Gopichand said as he mentioned how in 2015, he realized that only "winning gold medals" cannot be the national goal.
Weighing in on what people need to understand about the phrase 'physical literacy' Whitehead said, "Physical literacy is not a state that you can achieve and hold on to. It's a disposition. You are on this journey always. There is progress and egress. Physical literacy is like happiness, it needs to be nurtured. It's like an attitude, a perception."
When asked by Gopichand about how a range of activities can be provided for everyone, Whitehead said, "As far as possible youngsters should be given a whole range of physical activities - sports, yoga, dance etc. Physical literacy can feed into the Olympic movement, which in turn can promote physical literacy.. It's no good motivating people, if they have nowhere to go"
Gopichand also brought up the issue of a certain mindset that people have when it comes to physical education (PE) teachers and how they are often the first ones to be dropped when institutions are cutting corners.
To this Whitehead said, "Key people need to understand physical literacy and realign their goals accordingly. The support has to come from the top. We need to see physical education teachers as key to taking this movement forward. Physical education teachers should not be seen as second class citizens. There is Government level support needed for more teachers, more equipment, because it's not a trivial aspect, it's a key aspect for a holistic life."

Whitehead also stressed on the fact that physical education teachers need to feel valued.
Gopichand also asked Whitehead about how elderly people can be motivated to take up physical activity. Whitehead's take on this was that they should be explained the value of physical activity and that the medical and para medical authorities have a huge role to play in this, to motivate elderly people to take up physical activity for their overall wellbeing.
The global lockdown, which had to be enforced to fight the Coronavirus pandemic restricted the avenues for physical exercise. But, at a time when most things have come to a grinding halt, it has also made people realise how important physical activity is. Whitehead's take on this was - "I hope the enforced experience will make people wake up to the importance of physical activity and the value it adds to life."
Nigel Green also weighed in on this, saying he has seen more people out exercising during this period than ever before (UK allows outdoor exercise once a day during the lockdown).
TimesofIndia.com also asked Margaret Whitehead a couple of questions at the session.
One question was - In a heavily populated country like India, apart from space constraints what other challenges does she see in terms of increasing physical activity and how can they be overcome?
To this White head responded by saying, "You have got to have the belief, it won't happen quickly. Don't be too ambitious. There need to be models created and then they need to be spread and expanded. You need to hear from the participants (for feedback) and take it step by step."
Green also spoke about this earlier, saying, in a country like India where there are space constraints, people should, "maximise areas they do have."
Another question posed by TimesofIndia.com at the session was - At a time when most youngsters seem happy to sit in air conditioned rooms and play video games for hours, how do you motivate them to go outdoors and indulge in physical activity?
Whitehead answered this with an example of how the activity of her two grandsons is monitored, saying that the rule in their house is not more than an hour on their laptops, once during the day and once in the evening. Parents play a big role in this. She also said that the situation created by the Coronavirus has shown how people can get attached to online mediums and social media, adding that it's all the more difficult to break that pattern, but also all the more important. "The human race is not doing itself any good by sitting still and using only a small part of their capabilities." Whitehead said.
In conclusion, Gopichand, while thanking Whitehead and Green said, "We have been extras for too long. Physical activity needs to take centre stage. It's very important, especially in these days of the Covid pandemic."