Having succeeded in raising necessary and revamped infrastructure for promoting sports and sports activities in Jammu and Kashmir including the near completed prestigious FIFA football stadium of international standard in Bakshi Stadium Srinagar , Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has shown keen interest in respect of giving the required impetus to involvement of more youth in sports activities and underlined the need of special target oriented approach to be adopted by Department of Youth Services and Sports. It is not that there is any deficiency of sports talent in Jammu and Kashmir but due to a sort of an approach of inertia adopted by those who are at the helm of Sports Department and the resultant deficit of infusing sports spirit in the willing sportspersons, this part of the country has not made any mark in the national events let alone in international ones as a (state) and now a UT of this size should do. Looking to the future and learning from the past omissions and commissions alone would carve out the present and in that spirit many decisions , mainly target oriented have been taken.
We appreciate the decision of the UT Government in involving as many as 17.5 lakh boys and girls from across Jammu and Kashmir in different disciplines of sports. If assets at huge costs raised mainly from out of the Prime Minister’s Development Package , those needed not be kept idle but utilized for not only routine sports activities but with an aim to excel in selected disciplines under the professional guidance so as to be in a position to take part in national events.Imparting training and the requisite coaching should be from well known and professional coaches . Targets must be fixed for those coaches on quarterly , six monthly and yearly basis. What is needed for any activity to be fruitful is the element of consistency . That implies the same amount of zeal and enthusiasm as at the initial stages subsequently throughout so that results on expected lines are obtained.
The UT needs to take a cue from other states in that not only the element of consistency prevailed in training , coaching and grooming of the sportspersons but declaring incentives of cash/employment and other benefits in case performance of notable levels was achieved by their sportspersons in important events at the national levels. Incentives played a great part in enticing keen interest in sports of competitive nature.
Since many a step has been taken by the UT administration in respect of rural areas in the shape of “Back to villages” , “Rural Youth Clubs” and launching of schemes and taking of steps in order to get more involvement of the youth in social, sports , cultural and even avocation related activities, in sports too play-fields are proposed to be developed in 1628 Panchayats and in respect of other Panchayats, school grounds are to be utilized for sports activities. Rural areas must get a thrust of administrative attention in thatmost of the rural areas are vulnerable for anti national elements to rope in some gullible youth in undesirable activities. Sports and incentive laced sports activities at Panchayat levels shall keep the youth motivated and committed to take part in sports. Not only that, sports events can be hosted in the UT , now that we have reasonably enough sports infrastructure to evoke interest from the youth to watch these sports events just to feel a desire to try sports even as a career. In this connection , it is heartening to note that for the first time , the UT is going to host 17 national events in different sports disciplines . Nearly 12000 athletes in total going to take part in these events was surely going to promote sports and create an air of developing a fancy for sports in Jammu and Kashmir.
It is again to ensure that the infrastructure was well looked after and maintained , the requisite inventory documented, records maintained in respect of sports equipment distributed at various levels for which the Department of Youth Services and Sports should reveal the information on its website and other portals. Transparency , accountability and performance are the three vital aspects mandatorily to be associated with what the concerned department should be doing to promote sports.
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