In order to let the feeling about promoting and continuing to sustain the sports culture in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir not get subdued in anyway under the pretext of the current COVID pandemic, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha recently reviewed the functioning of the Sports Council and the Department of Youth Services thus lending due importance to sports. Though agreeably these days, both these organisations looking to sports, sports infrastructure and promoting sports talent, are under somewhat reclining and lightened mode, since active sports are suspended except in quite ordinary way, the saved time thus should be utilized towards looking to associated issues like sports infrastructure, pending sports projects, upkeep and maintenance of sports assets, renovation and up-gradation works of the premier stadiums of Jammu and Srinagar and the like. Despite a cosy and a pleasant presentation in respect of where sports and sports activities in the UT stood given by the twin institutions to the Lt. Governor, the fact that much had not been done and achieved commensurate with the infrastructure and support base provided to them, cannot be underestimated.
There were inordinate delays in completion of ongoing projects like in Bakshi Stadium, the Lt. Governor, as such, passed on pointed directions to the concerned officers for ensuring the projects were completed as soon as possible. What, however, is to be noted is that in spite of the existing infrastructure, concerted efforts were quite far less and half baked in identifying and involving more and more youth in sports to channelize their energies in the right direction. The menace of drugs and other intoxicants were penetrating the sections of the youth who must be seen evoking more and preferred interest in sports and games and for that, a comprehensive policy was required to be framed and implemented. Diverting spare and affordable time of the youth towards sports and youth activities would serve, besides other advantages, in fighting tendencies, if any, towards unwarranted indulgence that was against their health, families, career and society. Sports , therefore, was of paramount importance to play a pivotal role in that direction.
We would like to know whether targets have been prepared to be fixed to be achieved in sports and sports activities in respect of upcoming sports infrastructure comprising 31 projects under PMDP, including 22 multipurpose indoor halls etc as the end-use of such costly assets must be ensured to be made strictly for which they were sanctioned and built. Waste assets and unutilized sports talent are two faces of the same coin. Professionalism, competitive sports and zeal, strategies to achieve certain fixed goals from time to time, reorientation of sports activities at tehsil, district and regional levels and other measures must visit our sports scenario in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir at the earliest. The Lt. Governor, later released Coffee Table Book of the Sports Council wherein what had been “done and achieved” by the Council in respect of sports was showcased although any expenditure in respect of printing and making of Coffee Table Book is presently stopped as an austere measure .
International cricketer Suresh Raina while meeting the Lt. Governor informed about setting up of 10 schools by him, 5 in Kashmir and 5 in Jammu, to train aspirant cricketers from remote areas of the UT. He stressed upon talent which would be “identified and selected” from all regions of Jammu and Kashmir. Professionals would train them so as to equip them fully to play at the international level. Even from the young ranks of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, such an exercise would be initiated by the noted cricketer which he made clear after visiting the Director General of Police at Police Headquarters .
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