Outstanding sportspersons deserve a better deal
*Need to prioritize individual brilliance of athletes
Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, July 22: Over seven years have gone since the preliminary exercise for the formation of Sports Policy was initiated in 2013, however, it is observed that the Government has yet to take any concrete step with regard to implementation of J&K’s own Sports Policy.
No-doubt, after J&K’s Union Territory (UT) status, the implementation of healthy Sports Policy is a priority for the Governor’s Administration, which is leaving no stone unturned in enhancing sports culture and promoting sports and games in every nook and corner of the State/UT, so it is the opportune time to establish a sportsperson-friendly comprehensive policy, wherein the individual brilliance of sportspersons should be given a priority.
It has been learnt that to ensure employment for outstanding sportspersons of Jammu and Kashmir, the UT Govt is all set to launch a new sports policy with five more games.
The policy has necessitated after litigations which put a ban on employment through sports quota.
Now, the dire need is that the Sports Policy should ensure that the outstanding players should get the benefit of SRO-349/98 related to the appointments of outstanding sportspersons in Government Services, besides another SRO related to admissions in professional colleges.
However, it is observed that no sportsperson has been given Government job under this SRO since 2013.
Sources said that 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 had 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.
“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 Youth Services and Sports, J&K Sports Council, Department of Education, various Sports Associations and NGOs are 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 a sports expert.
He further said taking both education and sports together would cater to the development of organic, cognitive and conative aspects of human personality, adding 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.
For that matter, as to how much time is required to the Government for framing its own sports policy is a million dollar question?
As uncertainty continues over the implementation of a sports policy, the resentment is brewing up among the budding sportspersons of the Union Territory who are now mulling the option to migrate to other States or Union Territories by representing them in National and International events.
Moreover, the awards and incentives are highest motivation for young sportspersons to blossom and if the
same are not presented timely, it leaves the players in the lurch and serves as a stumbling-block for the promotion of games and sports, such policies blow a death-knell for budding sportspersons to flourish.
“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 National and 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, the state of affairs is that J&K gives a meagre amount of Rs 5,00,00 for the same. Moreover, non-categorization of games in accordance with their performance at the higher levels is also a matter of great concern.
“In such a scheme of things, the talented sportspersons are deprived of their rights, while blue-eyed get undue benefit. What is more annoying is the fact that the players of medal winning sports disciplines and those with poor show at the higher levels are often put in the same league in the jaundiced system,” said coach of prominent medal winning sports discipline.
Now, with the implementation of J&K’s own Sports Policy on cards, the Government needs to ensure that the individual brilliance of promising sportspersons is given priority while implementing new policy.
Otherwise, it has been noticed that the individual brilliance of the players is not considered while framing quota for appointment of outstanding sportspersons in Government jobs.
“Giving priority to medals at International level is alright, but neglecting individual brilliance of good sportspersons at State and National level is unjustified. Athlete’s record at the National level and his/her merit at the grass-root level i.e School, Zone, District, Division and State should be given preference while setting sports quota.
As per the precedence, the medallists at the International and National levels are given the driving seat in sports quota, while the participation at the International level get the back seat, thus marring those sportspersons who possess phenomenal individual record but only a participation certificate at the highest level.
“The UT Govt needs to judge merit of the sportspersons at all levels not at the highest and higher levels only. Some players make it to the national team with their individual brilliance at all levels, while some fetch medals at so-called International level without any background at the lower levels. The performance at all levels should be taken into consideration. Winning medals at the International level in team games is always an uphill task and not everybody’s cup of tea,” said retired officer of J&K Sports Council.
He said apart from all this, the need is to accommodate outstanding sportspersons in Jammu and Kashmir Police (JKP) and other allied departments to make them flourish and produce International stuff from the Union Territory, besides accommodating State awardees who are few in number in Government jobs.
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