Excelsior Sports Correspondent
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, Apr 20: Despite collecting lacs of rupees as Games Fund from the students, the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports is allegedly discouraging the budding talent of the State by apparently scuttling participation of J&K players in National School Games even after their selection for the event.
Around two dozen young players, finally selected to represent the State in 60th School National Games in Chess at Salem in Tamil Nadu from April 26, are running from pillar to post to know the fate of their participation in the prestigious event even as only a day has been left to proceed for the venue.
To ensure their participation , these players must reach the venue by April 25 evening and get themselves registered with the School Games Federation of India for which they are required to leave Jammu for Tamil Nadu by April 22. However, till date, neither deployment of coaches has been made to accompany the players nor rail ticket for the journey have been arranged by the DYSS even as notification for the National Games in Chess was issued by School Games Federation of India on March 6, 2015.
Passing buck to others and making contradictory statements on the fate of participation of these young players in the National Games, the concerned authorities in the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports are now claiming that a final decision in this regard could be only taken by the Director General of Sports, who is out of station and unlikely to reach back in next two days.
Pertinent to mention that these players from different schools of J&K were selected to represent the State in School National Games in Chess for screening tests at district and division level, last year . After the final selection, eligibility forms of the selected players were collected twice as the earlier ones submitted to the DYSS authorities were lost in last September floods.
According to parents of the selected players, they had been repeatedly approaching the office of Deputy Director Youth Services and Sport, Jammu, to know the latest status and action by the department to take the players for participation in the upcoming national event but every time, contradictory statements and reasons were given to them. ” After making various excuses like shortage of funds etc, the Deputy Director DYSS Haji Mirza finally told us that the Directorate can not take any decision in this regard since the DG Sport was out of station,” informed father of a selected player on the condition of anonymity.
The allegations of contradictory statements by the concerned authorities were also established by the Excelsior when, on being contacted, Additional Secretary, Department of Youth Services and Sports, P L Atri initially claimed that the players could not go for participation in National Games because of inadequate participation of districts at screening level but soon added that only Secretary could give an exact reason.
When Secretary Youth Services and Sports Department, Khurshid Ahmad, was contacted, he assured to look into the matter but did not reply back. The Deputy Director DYSS, Haji Mirza, with whom parents were in constant touch, stoutly refused to have any knowledge over the issue and claimed that he was not dealing with such matters.
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