Despite lapse of several yrs, J&K ‘Sports Policy’ nowhere in sight

Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Nov 4: Initiated several years back, the process of formulating comprehensive Sports Policy for Jammu and Kashmir has not reached the logical conclusion till date much to the disappointment of the sportspersons and the youngsters having potential to excel in different games.
The initiative to formulate J&K’s Sports Policy was taken by National Conference-Congress Coalition Government headed by Omar Abdullah and accordingly the then Sports Minister Taj Mohi-ud-Din initiated the process to take suggestions from the stakeholders in order to prepare the draft of the policy.
However, the interest which was shown at the initial stage faded with the passage of time and the announcement remained confined to the official statements only despite the fact that even timeframe of one month was fixed by the then Sports Minister for introduction of Sports Policy.
The present PDP-BJP Coalition Government too showed interest in formulating much needed Sports Policy and the draft of the policy was put in the public domain for inviting objections and suggestions in the month of February this year.
The draft was prepared by the Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) in consultation with the J&K State Sports Council, Department of Sports and Physical Education University of Jammu, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, eminent sportspersons of the State, experts from Sports Authority of India (SAI) other stakeholders.
However, despite lapse of several months, the process of holding consultations with the stakeholders has not concluded despite the fact that only few days time-frame was fixed for this exercise, official sources told EXCELSIOR, adding “this indicates that tapping the available potential in the sports field is no priority even for the present dispensation otherwise 10 months is sufficient time to give final shape to the policy and get it approved from the relevant quarters”.
“The non-serious approach in finalizing the Sports Policy is notwithstanding the fact that even during last Assembly Session the Government had announced that policy will be notified very shortly”, sources said, adding “by delaying the formulation of policy the Government has undermined the sanctity of the House”.
When contacted, Wahid-ur-Rehman Parra, Secretary, J&K State Sports Council, who had taken the charge of the Council around two months back, said, “We are taking the suggestions from the youth to make comprehensive Sports Policy”. He, however, claimed that the Sports Policy will be notified very shortly as it is need of the hour.
When approached, Aman Sharma, Senior Basketball Coach and SAI official who was a member of the High Level State Committee headed by DG Youth Services and Sports that prepared the draft of the Sports Policy said, “We had a series of meetings in this regard and even recommended many progressive changes to be incorporated in the Sports Policy”, adding “the welfare of sports persons and their training were the main recommendations”.
He expressed his ignorance about where the roadblock has hit the process of formulating comprehensive Sports Policy.
It is pertinent to mention here that the main aim of the Sports Policy is to nurture the sports talent among the youth of the State and to prepare them in all the sports disciplines for the national and international level competitions, providing sports infrastructure up to Gram Panchayat levels, making physical education compulsory from elementary up to the university level for all the students and creating enabling environment for all the sports persons to excel at national and international levels.

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