NEW DELHI: Tennis icon Andre Agassi on Tuesday highlighted how sports should remain integral to education, noting their role in teaching children to cope with defeat.
At a Bengaluru event focussed on sports and education's role in fostering excellence, Agassi shared his insights.
"Even when you have a failure, you have to get up and play again the next day. So, what sports is teaching you is that focusing on winning and losing is really a distraction from what we need to be thinking about. We need to be thinking about how to get better," he said.
Since 2001, Agassi has invested in education for underprivileged children, establishing 130 schools serving approximately 80,000 students in the United States. He attributes this achievement to his persistent drive to overcome obstacles.
His demanding tennis career shaped his ability to maintain focus and adapt when necessary.
"Sports is all about problem-solving. Tennis taught me how to navigate a very intense environment and maintain my objectivity and problem-solving abilities. It forces me to be present, but also to understand the context of what I'm doing," Agassi said.
Regarding his earlier defiant period, Agassi acknowledged it as a necessary phase in his journey.
"Vulnerability is essential for growth, and I think vulnerability eventually leads to humility," he added.
He recognised technology's crucial role in education, particularly in providing individualised learning opportunities for children. This belief influenced his investment in the Indian EdTech company, Square Panda.
"I think technology can play an essential role, not just in scalability, but also in optimising personalised learning. That's why I got involved with Square Panda. We are here because of the sheer scale of impact the technology will bring to education," he said.
