This was a statement made by a mate who recently returned from a trip to northern India where he witnessed poverty of almost incomprehensible proportions compared to the opportunities we have.

He said the most frightening spectacle was watching children that appeared to be about six or seven years old sleeping on roads in freezing conditions beneath sheets of newspaper.

His statement that Australian kids are born lucky came back to me during the routine weekend round of Launceston’s junior sporting venues, transporting the offspring to their various commitments.

For my family it is soccer, netball, basketball and swimming and so many trips between Churchill Park, Hoblers Bridge, Elphin Sports Centre and the aquatic centre that the car can virtually do it on automatic pilot.

For other families it may be hockey, athletics, rowing, footy or cycling with venues like St Leonards, Aurora Stadium, the Tamar River and the Silverdome giving our kids sporting opportunities that few other countries in the world could match.

In fact, a glance through the sports to be contested in Rio de Janeiro in six weeks can be accompanied by the knowledge of where most of them can be practised, not just within Australia or Tasmania, but Launceston.

Even non-mainstream sports like equestrianism, archery, weightlifting, mountain biking, boxing, gymnastics, bmx and canoeing are catered for in our regional city, along with golf and tennis although quite what they’re doing on the Olympic program is anybody’s guess.

My constant ferrying between venues represented the same commitment the parents of hockey player Tim Deavin, cyclist Georgia Baker, basketballer Adam Gibson and triathlete Jake Birtwhistle would have done and now all four should be gracing an Olympic Games in their chosen sports.

Admittedly, young Jake has not been selected, but I stand by the words “should be”.

It can only be guessed at how many laps of the Silverdome or Riverside pool Baker and Birtwhistle have completed between them.

Similarly, trampolinist Jack Penny, weightlifter Jenna Myers, shooter Bailey Groves and runner Josh Harris all put themselves in Olympic contention courtesy of facilities available in their home city.

When Rio hosts the Games in August, Tasmania is destined to fall short of the 15 athletes it sent to the London Olympics in 2012.

But however many the state ends up sending to a country with levels of poverty on a par with India, we should never forget why our homeland is referred to as the lucky country.