Selection process by DYSS puts a question mark on wisdom of its activities section

Ajay Raina
JAMMU, Sept 23: Notwithstanding the fact that there is a broad-based system of selecting teams in various sporting disciplines to represent the State at the national scene in the Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), the selection process by the DYSS puts a question mark on the functioning and the wisdom of its activities section.
Sources said, in spite of the verity that the DYSS has a comprehensive system of picking the State teams by holding tournaments at school, zone, district, division and State Levels, the vested interests, lack of wisdom and sports ethics of the officials of activities section of the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports has made this system jaundiced, polluted and paralytic, to leave the talented sportspersons in the lurch.
Sources said, that in the dirt of politics and drunk with the pride of their autocratic approach, besides having lack of knowledge and lust for pooling money, the officials of the activities section of the Directorate forget to name the selectors in accordance with the technical aspect of the games.
Sources further said that the talent gets wasted rather is massacred by naming ‘blue-eyed’ non technical persons as selectors to pick the State teams, adding the hockey officials are nominated to pick the footballers, volleyball officials to select cagers and spikers to pick the cricketers, butchering the real talent.
A good number of mentors and parents of the players approached the EXCELSIOR to give vent to their feelings with regard to biased rather discriminatory approach of the selectors rather squint-eyed treatment meted out to their wards through the hands of these blue-eyed selectors of the DYSS.
Expressing anguish over the selection process in picking the Jammu division Under-17 cricket team at Billawar and Buddu in Kathua, they (parents and mentors) said that after playing two or three matches on a tumpy, rough and bumpy clay strip (cricket pitch), the so called ‘selectors’ of the Sports Department picked the team as per their wish, axing a few very talented young cricketers including one who has four centuries and fourteen fifties at his back in the domestic circuit (local tourneys) at this tender age, unquestionably the most talented cricketer in this age group.
They alleged nexus between the coaches, officials and the selectors in picking the Jammu division squad.
“How can you justify fair selection of a cricketer by an official from any other game? Isn’t it a slap on the face of the organizers? Is it not a ‘cruel joke’ if a cricketer is being selected by a cager or a spiker?,” expressed a parent on the condition of anonymity.
He said, the performance of Jammu division Under-17 team in the Inter-Division Tournament at Anantnag portraits picture of the bad selection process of the team as it was crushed by the Kashmir division team in all three outings in the Tournament for selecting the State team to represent Jammu and Kashmir in the forthcoming National School Games.
The cricket enthusiasts and the parents further said that they brought the malpractices and wrong doings of the coaches and selectors into the notice of the higher authorities to make certain changes, adding that the authorities made the changes just for the sake of change.
They said that they were at their wits end to understand as to why the officials of the activities section of the Directorate were so reluctant not to change the selection committee despite its un-eligibility, adding that the Department has a good number of former Ranji Trophy cricketers, BCCI Level-1 coaches, NIS coaches, besides other experts do the job with purity and perfection.
On the one hand, the State Govt is organizing a cricketing extravaganza in State Cricket Academy T20 Championship in almost all the districts of the State to promote cricket in the nooks and corners of Jammu and Kashmir and on the other hand, it fails to stop the ‘Animals in Men’ from butchering talent.
They said in such a scenario, it is better for the talented sportspersons to stop rigorous practice, to at least help themselves not to be befooled by the blue-eyed selectors, coaches and managers.
They appealed the Department to engage expert, job knowing and honest coaches and selectors and sack all those so called coaches, who are continuosly   involved in wrong doings.
The cricket enthusiasts and aggrieved parents hoped the Government will not let the talent die and will take an early action to streamline the system.

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