Expecting appointment of coaches sans constitution of JKSC to flog a dead horse
*Outstanding athletes forced to flee to other States
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 7: The Centre Government is taking all the requisite measures to promote sports and games at all levels and is resolute in its stand of making Jammu and Kashmir a sporting hub by providing special packages to the Union Territory with regard to the development of sports infrastructural facilities in its every nook and corner.
The Government’s allocation of Rs 2826.92 crore to sports budged with an increase of Rs 50 crore from the last year, portraits picture of the keenness of Centre towards improving the standard of sports and games in the country. Moreover, allotment of funds to raise sports infrastructural facilities in J&K under Prime Minister’s Special Package depicts the urge of the Centre to make J&K a hub of sports.
However, despite all the initiatives taken by the Government with regard to enhancing standard of sports in Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Territory has yet to implement its own Sports Policy.
According to reliable sources, over 6 years have gone since the preliminary exercise for formulation of J&K Sports Policy was initiated, yet one observes that Jammu and Kashmir Government’s own Sports Policy is still a dream as there is hardly any concrete work initiated with regard to implementation of the same despite lapse of all these years.
However, after J&K’s Union Territory (UT) status, the implementation of healthy Sports Policy ought to be a priority for the Lieutenant Governor’s Administration, which is burning mid-night oil in enhancing sports culture in the Union Territory, as the time is ripe to establish a sportsperson-friendly policy.
Moreover, it is also the opportune time for J&K after attaining UT status to honour outstanding sportspersons with the already announced State, Sher-e-Kashmir and Parshuram Sports Awards as the players are waiting in the wings for the presentation of the same from last around four years.
Sources said that the prestigious Sports Awards which have already been announced by the previous Governments, way back in 2016, in favour of the outstanding sportspersons of the State (players and coaches) for their extraordinary contribution in their respective sports disciplines, have not been presented to them from a long time now.
“One gets a feeling that unless and until the Sports Council is re-constituted and all powerful and customary Standing Committee is framed in JKSC, talking of presentation of awards to outstanding sportspersons and appointment of coaches in Sports Council is to flog a dead horse as it is the same Standing Committee taking all the decisions for welfare of outstanding sportspersons,” said a reliable source within the Council while expressing anonymity.
He said that most of the Coaching Cenres are running in absence of coaches to leave the budding sportspersons in the lurch, adding that there is dire need of re-constituting the Sports Council and to make life easy for budding sportspersons.
“A Comprehensive Sports Policy can only contribute in the making of a desirable sports structure in the Union Territory. Unfortunately, we do find that almost all the agencies including the Department of Education, J&K Sports Council, Department of Youth Services and Sports, Nehru Yuva Kendras and various Sports Associations working in a haphazard manner in their own respective ways but to no avail and ultimate purpose of sports is getting defeated in this way. All these agencies need to be brought under one umbrella if we want to make headway in this direction,” said PhD scholar in Physical Education on the condition of anonymity.
He said taking both education and sports together would cater to the development of organic, cognitive and conative aspects of human personality, adding that education must very unfailingly encompass the application of Physical Education and sports for the development of wholesome personality.
Experts believe that J&K will achieve excellence in sports only when comprehensive Sports Policy is framed.
But as to how much time is required to the Government for framing its own Sports Policy is a million dollar question?
Sources said that the Government was aiming to merge the elite Sports Organisations/Departments to make it Sports Authority of J&K analogous to Sports Authorities of other States/UTs, adding that the idea seems to be far away from implementation as per the present scenario.
Sources said that the previous Sports Policy draft prepared in 2013 had suggested various measures for the upliftment of sports and games and providing necessary facilities to the players so that they could match with the best in the business, adding that after the draft was fully prepared, the autonomous sports body decided to put it in public domain for suggestions to bring any further improvement but that did not happen. The draft was not implemented due to lack of consensus.
Sources added that according to the draft, the new Sports Policy is aimed at providing opportunity to all the citizens to participate in sports, develop, maintain and optimally utilize high quality sports infrastructure and channelize youth talent in sports, reward the outstanding sportspersons to appreciate and acknowledge their contribution so that new talent is lured towards the sports activities and categorize sports to ensure focused attention for balanced growth and development of various games.
Categorization of games, awards and incentives for outstanding sportspersons and respect for the Central Government’s Sports Code has always been the ‘mantra’ to blossom in sports for the States which produce international stuff, who keep their flag high at the National and International scene.
However, one fails to understand as to why the Government is hesitant in implementing the Sports Policy despite having done all the hard work in framing draft in the analogy of the Sports Policies of the States which have a good name and fame in this field at the higher levels.
“Jammu and Kashmir is lagging behind rich sporting States like Haryana, Punjab and Maharashtra etc in providing assistance and perks to talented sportspersons to blossom at the International scene. On the one hand, the State of Haryana presents Rs 75,00,000 to medal winner at the International Level, and on the other hand, J&K gives a meagre amount of Rs 50,000 for the same,” said a National player on the condition of anonymity.
He added that the Sports Policy should ensure that the outstanding players’ who get the benefit of SRO related to admission in Professional Colleges, should also get the benefit of another SRO related to the appointments in Government Services.
Due to non-implementation of Sports Policy, resentment is brewing up among the budding sportspersons of the J&K UT who are now mulling the option to migrate to other States or Union Territories by representing them in national and international events.
To create a niche in the field of sports and carve a space on the National sports map, the implementation of the Sports Policy is need of the hour.
For that matter, the Government of Union Territory needs to implement its own Sports Policy at an earliest.
Presently the Government is focussed towards framing policies in connection with efficient and effective functioning of every Department/ Organisation, not to talk of the field of sports only.
So, one hopes that Lieutenant Governor’s Administration takes healthy steps in promoting sports and sportspersons to begin new innings after Union Territory status.
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