Comprehensive Sports Policy, sufficient infra must to promote sports in JK: Chain Singh

Rajesh Dhar
JAMMU, Apr 6: Expecting promotion of sports and games in the State without framing a Comprehensive Sports Policy and without raising sufficient sports infrastructure is simply meaningless.
This was stated by J&K’s ace shooter, Chain Singh in a freewheeling chat with Excelsior Correspondent while expressing his views over the prevailing sports scenario in the State and giving vent to his feelings.
The Asian Games medalist, the 28-year Army personnel, Chain Singh, who hails from Bhallessa area of District Doda said that unless and until the State of Jammu and Kashmir frames a complete Sports Policy analogous to the rich sporting States like Haryana and Maharashtra etc., it can never think of producing and promoting quality sportspersons, who can keep the State’s Flag high at the National and International scene.
The winner of six gold medals in the 12th South Asian Games held at Guwahati in India in the year 2016 said, that he had never heard of shooting until he entered adulthood when he joined the Indian Army in 2007, adding that his excellence at the International level is directly proportional to the facilities provided to him by the Indian Army, besides his sheer-dint of hard-work and determination.
The bronze medalists in 2014 Asian Games held at Incheon in South Korea, Mr Singh said that the presentation of awards and incentives for excellence in any field is always a highest motivation, adding that the State of Jammu and Kashmir in the recent times have started honouring outstanding sportspersons for their achievements, which otherwise was not a custom here, yet the honorarium and the incentives are hardly sufficient to fulfill the needs of these sportspersons.
“I have got two promotions in Army for my achievements in the sports field. One would never have expected more than that. J&K State should also adapt the similar policy in appointing and promoting sportspersons,” expressed Mr Singh.
Mr Singh further said that the time was ripe to enhance the amount of cash awards and other incentives presented to the outstanding sportspersons for their achievements in sports as the present Government is showing commitment and striving hard to uplift the standard of sports and games in the State.
He said that the medal winning sports disciplines need to be prioritized and the medal winners need to be honoured with awards and incentives, adding that the State, for that matter, needs to take a leaf from the book of those States which have good name and fame at the International scene.
“The quality facilities are must for producing quality sportspersons. The facilities, apart from good equipment and paraphernalia, include good coaches and trainers also. Standard infrastructural facilities are fine, but standard coaching facilities are very important,” said the ace shooter who has also secured his spot for the Rio Olympics.
Mr Singh said that quantitative sports provides opportunity to maximum youths to showcase their skills, but the need is to focus on qualitative sports to bring laurels for the State.
“The basic mantra to focus on qualitative sports is to categorize games as per their merit and classify outstanding sportspersons as per their class and potential,” added Mr Singh.
Chain Singh, who shot a total of 441.7 points to finish behind champion Chinese shooters in 2014 Asian Games, appealed the State Government to implement the already framed Sports Policy at an earliest in order to make an end to chaos and confusion prevailing in the sports fraternity.
He said that the dire need is to develop requisite sports infrastructure in the State in order to produce international stuff.

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