*Appoint professionals for better results
Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, June 25: The State Government’s initiative of establishing Football and Cricket Academies through J&K State Sports Council is a big step towards producing International stuff in these sports disciplines. However, these academies need good number of coaches, trainers and even physiotherapists to flourish and also make the players to blossom.
The purpose of creating State Football Academy and State Cricket Academy by J&K State Sports Council was to strengthen grass-root level sports structure in Jammu and Kashmir, but the absence of good number of professionals in these Academies, defeats the purpose of constituting such Academies.
For better results of these Academies, Council had roped in an official from J&K Bank to run SFA and a Lecturer from State Education Department to run SCA.
Both the officials, it is believed, have ample experience to make these two projects a big success. However, the question is as to how these Academies will flourish in absence of coaches, trainers and other allied staff.
“In absence of proper supporting staff, only a magic wand can help the heads of these academies to produce quality stuff. The heads can make their experience to count in administration and management, but it is the coaches and the trainers, who can hone, fine-tune the skills of the players at grass-root level. Mehraj ud Din Wadoo in SFA and Abid Nabi in SCA are not enough. There is a dire need to appoint more professionals for better results of these Academies,” said an experienced coach on the condition of anonymity.
“Some people blame that these Academies have been reduced to organizing bodies rather than the training centres for what they were meant for. But the reality is that the matches are the best form of coaching. So, there is no harm in organising more and more matches, apart from imparting coaching and training to budding sportspersons. Talent, without opportunity is nothing. The skill of the trained players can be assessed only through matches,” said a current First-Class cricketer while expressing anonymity.
According to reliable sources, due to lack of coaching staff, State Cricket Academy from a big number of trainees in its Srinagar and other centres has been reduced to quite a smaller number.
“Under the Governor’s Administration, the State Government is striving hard to carve a space on the country’s sports map. In this context, funds are being pumped into all the sporting projects for better results. However, the results are not so satisfactory, because the system lacks comprehensiveness. To make these projects result oriented and utterly professional, the need is to appoint experts,” sources added.
What sounds ridiculous is the fact that almost an year after a senior football coach attained superannuation, the Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council has yet to depute another coach for the trainees at Football Academy being run at GGM Science College ground in Jammu.
According to reliable sources, a senior coach Vishwamitter had retired in July 2018, and he is yet to be replaced by another coach to hamper the activities of this Football Training Centre.
“The claims of the authorities of promoting football in every nook and corner of the State hardly seem justified as they are not in a position to appoint a coach in a small football centre, what to talk of employing professionals in bigger sporting projects. The young players are practicing on their own in absence of a football coach in Jammu,” sources maintained.
The Government target of giving impetus to sports activities in the State and channelizing youth in positive direction, will only be fulfilled by establishing more Sports Academies and appointing sufficient supporting staff in them.
Otherwise, establishing academies in absence of requisite staff and expecting miracles is to cry for the moon.
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