To the immense happiness of sports lovers of the State, there is the good news that from the Prime Minister’s Development Package of eighty thousand crore rupees, 200 crore rupees have been earmarked for the development of sports in the State. In this connection the Union Secretary of Sports held a high level meeting in the State in which the roadmap for giving impetus to sports in the State was discussed with far-reaching approach. Looking in retrospect, we regret to say that there have never been very serious and well-planned efforts to give sports proper boost in the State. We often said and believe that all the three regions of the State have enormous potential of producing sportsmen and sportswomen of great excellence who have the ability to make mark on national level if proper training facilities and other pre-requisites are provided to them. The axiom “catch them young” applies nowhere better than in our State provided we have a definite policy of searching for the talent at very young age. Our country has the second largest population in the world but we are not able to win a single gold in the Olympic Games. Why is our record so low and how should we account for it. This is a matter of introspection.
To give impetus to sports in our country and our State, we need to have a comprehensive policy which has to be followed in letter and in spirit. First is catching boys and girls young in their schools and then harnessing them into the branches of sports in which they have talent. There has to be coordination on district level, state level and national level. Then there is the question of proper training in training institutes on state and national level. Then comes the competition stag where sportsmen and women have to be engaged in inter-district, inter- state and on national level. We need allocation of sufficient funds, rigorous training, competition rallies and above all dedication to the skills. At the level of selection, favouritism and nepotism spoil the game. Sports persons are a sensitive lot and they feel when their pride of performance is hurt.
For long our State remained far behind in sports despite occasional show of talent. Now it appears that a well planned policy of providing boost to the State sports activities is in the offing. It has many aspects and the one that is of much significance is that the Union Ministry of Sports desires that sport facilities like stadia, indoor stadium and electrified stadia should be provided at the headquarters of all the 22 districts of the State. Roping in the youth from the rural areas would be the real step towards promoting sports in the State. More than 60 per cent of our population lives in rural areas and it is this chunk of population that has to be tapped for talent. We are happy to know that 4 crore rupees have been allocated for modernization of two main stadia in the State namely Bakhshi Stadium in Srinagar and MA Stadium on Jammu. Reports coming about the meeting of the Union Sports Secretary with various officials besides the Chief Secretary indicate that a variety of aspects from infrastructure to the training and refresher courses for the coaches have been brought under review and distribution of funds has been planned so that no branch of sports is neglected. Emphasis is on state of art indoor halls, lighting, synthetic turfs, synthetic tracks and turfs for athletes, hockey grounds, football grounds, swimming pools, and water sports etc. We are happy to know that a team of the Project Management Consultant has already visited Bakhshi Stadium Srinagar and MA Stadium Jammu last month for inspection and preliminary study, following which a presentation on the design of the stadiums was made. A tripartite agreement is in the process of being signed by GoI, State Government and the NPCC.
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