Breakdancing will make its debut as an Olympic sport in 2024, and the BDFI hopes to field a competitive team that can represent India on the world stage.
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The Breakdance Federation of India (BDFI) is seeking government support to help fund its athletes as they prepare for the 2024 Paris Olympics. The BDFI has urged the Union Sports Minister, Anurag Thakur, to provide funding for training and preparation in the run-up to the Games. The federation is also seeking official recognition from the government. According to BDFI Secretary Biswajit Mohanty, the federation is struggling to arrange funds to send its athletes to important events that can help them gain valuable ranking points. These events are crucial in helping the athletes qualify for the Olympic Qualifier Series (OQS), which is a stepping stone to the Paris Olympics.
The BDFI recently sent its athletes to the Breaking for Gold (BFG) World Series event in Kitakyushu City, Japan. However, the federation is now struggling to send its athletes to another BFG event scheduled in Brazil in April. In Japan, Arif Iqbal Chaudhary (B-Boy Flyingmachine), Ramesh Yadhav (B-Boy Tornado), and Suraj Raut (B-Boy Suraj) placed 59th, 62nd, and 91st respectively among men. Johanna Antonia Rodrigues (B-girl Johanna), Sushma Aithal (B-Girl Sushma), and Sidhi Tambe (B-Girl BarB) placed 50th, 64th, and 76th respectively among women.
According to Biswajit Mohanty, an overall rank of 40 is needed for an athlete to qualify for the OQS. However, the BDFI is struggling to provide its athletes with the necessary support to achieve this goal. Mohanty said that the federation was unable to send a coach with the athletes to Japan, and they arrived only one day before the event, leaving them with little time to acclimate. In addition, they did not have a team kit. Mohanty also expressed difficulty in finding sponsors to support the athletes and cover the costs of travel and accommodation for upcoming events. He said that a trip to a BFG event costs around Rs 12 lakh, and the federation needs to send its athletes to several events to gain the necessary ranking points.
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The BDFI is hopeful that the government will recognize the sport and provide the necessary support to help its athletes prepare for the Paris Olympics. Breakdancing will make its debut as an Olympic sport in 2024, and the BDFI hopes to field a competitive team that can represent India on the world stage. A total of 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls will engage in breathtaking single contests in two events during the Paris 2024 Games’ breaking competition. Competitors will execute a mix of power techniques, featuring windmills, the 6-step, and freezes, as they adjust and improvise to the rhythm of the DJ’s music in order to win the inaugural Olympic breaking title. Breaking debuted at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in 2018. Following its extraordinary success, breaking has been selected as a new sport for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, alongside surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing.
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