In addition to having been continuously found wanting in being at the same pedestal as other States of the country in performance in various areas of governance, successive State Governments have not come up to the mark , even for name sake in promoting sports in the State. It would take enough space to elucidate the extent of potential and the talent available in Jammu and Kashmir in the field of sports, chiefly football, hockey, marathon and water sports, gymnastics, wrestling, cricket, judo and what not. Who would take pains to promote these sports, provide reasonably enough infrastructure and facilities, train and prepare the available talent to take part in international events including national ones in a row, award and reward the performing sportspersons including offering them jobs in the Government and in Public Sector Enterprises ?
In late December 2018, Advisor to the Governor K.Vijay Kumar is on record to have conveyed that the Governor was very much keen to promote sports culture in the State and to keep a check on utilization and distribution of funds and that a Sports Task Force was being introduced in the State at an early date. It was heartening to learn that an amount of as much as Rs.4 crore was being sanctioned to every district of the State for promoting sports and other measures. How far an atmosphere of sports and sports culture could the Governor’s administration create in the State remains far from being holistically realistic,agreed that the current period of the Governor’s rule could not be considered enough for any major results but some initiatives which could have impact on the ground, too have not been taken. The issue about the SRO -349 remains mired in ambiguities partly due to the administrative slackness and partly due to the dispute between the Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council and the players on the issue of awarding points to the outstanding players.
Under this SRO, some players around 25 with outstanding ranking were appointed by the Sports Council in 2013 but the process was not carried forward in the subsequent years. However, if an attempt in 2016 was made , the controversial “Points System” came in the way proving as a hump for paving the way for further appointments. Like this , sports persons of outstanding ranks are totally frustrated as the case is pending for final disposal in the court. Not that a proper Sports Policy has not been drafted and not submitted to the Government but breaking the stalemate is nowhere in sight in the immediate near future. It is a fact that the revised and reportedly well formulated Sports Policy could bring about a perceptible change in the sports landscape in the State for which everyone concerned is waiting in wings to see implemented at the earliest.
We have a long list of such sportspersons from varied disciplines with good performance at various important events like in Asian Games who are jobless . The case of Surya Bhanu Pratap Singh is worth mentioning whose case is still pending in respect of getting the promised job even after meeting the State Governor in late 2018. Now, there is no practice of awarding good amount of rewards to the outstanding players like in the case of Haryana, Maharashtra or Gujarat which could otherwise take care of the persons concerned who would not therefore feel the pinch and even be driven to the levels of desperation forcing many to migrate from this State which is not a healthy sign. We wish Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council played its expected role and the State Government adopted an innovative approach to encourage and benefit the sportspersons with outstanding performance and see that the State emerged as one of the top States in making sports an object of immense interest in the youth of the State by providing excellent facilities and incentives. It had many “side benefits” too which could take care of the emerging unrest in few quarters , if any.
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