Sports and sports infrastructure are inter- linked and both entities mean nothing unless sportspersons were ‘involved’, connected and properly engaged. That is how sports infrastructure, on the face of it, should be looked at. Unless proper, adequate and facilities oriented sports infrastructure was there, no crucial role could be played by any other arrangement in achieving excellence in the national and even global arena of sports. It plays a unique but interesting role in producing sports persons of national and international repute and motivates the younger generation in participating in sporting activities. Having said all that, it also entails that a good amount of public funds are spent on raising the related sports infrastructure which, therefore, should be maintained properly. That verily attracted the attention of the Lieutenant Governor recently who laid stress upon looking at the existing policies and bringing about reforms in them so that proper maintenance was ensured. He said so while chairing a General Body cum Standing Committee meeting of Sports Council.There can obviously be no two opinions about that. However, what was required was to look at the entire issue in a comprehensive and holistic way.
First of all, let us see whether sports infrastructure is optimally used by more people and what incentives and policies are in vogue to ensure that to take place. If we draw a comparison of present scenario with what used to be three decades or so before, it would be found that there was less inclination towards sports as it used to be earlier. Elements of lethargy, not ready to sweat it out in the field and pre occupation with studies and making preparations for achieving better grades in examinations leaves less time with students in general to get to sports and allied activities. Besides, contrary to the availability of sufficient space for playing games and sports almost everywhere in the respective vicinities earlier, now has remained almost in memories due to fast urbanisation. It was from these ordinary places, fields, parks, open spaces etc that sports flourished when in initial sensitive stages played, learnt, practiced and even polished to aspire for recognition at district, state and national levels and so on. Putting in more efforts and incentivising talent and sportsman spirit by the Sports Council and the Government in Jammu and Kashmir is need of the hour.
We, in this part of the country, have one of the best sports infrastructures which the Lieutenant Governor also agreed, however, should primarily be used for training and moulding the existing and potential talent of sports and in tangible form that could also be termed as proper maintenance of that infrastructure. That was obviously because regular and optimal use of the existing infrastructure almost in every district would in itself result in proper maintenance, continuance and sustentation of the requisite infrastructure. Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council is having sufficient human resources but perhaps, lesser number of coaches and qualified trainers which required to be seriously looked into and addressed.
Lieutenant Governor advising about the need of policy reforms for proper maintenance of sports infrastructure is most probably to be seen in the broader context as at grass root levels, such infrastructure needed to be developed so that Jammu and Kashmir too could claim success stories in respect of the sports field. There can be no doubt about UT of Jammu and Kashmir having enviably unique adequate resources of and advantage in terms of water bodies which could produce best of swimmers to appear in national contests and competitions and so on. Boats rowing, water regatta and allied water sports could become speciality of our sports policies and implementation. We could promote sports tourism which in turn could result in enriching and exchanging cultural diversities. Our sports policies at the UT level should be such that large tournaments could be held and arranged bringing not only sportspersons from different parts of the UT together but even from other states. Lieutenant Governor stressing upon holding more inter village, inter district and inter province tournaments needs proper follow up and implementation. Setting up of sports academies in the UT would help in promoting sports and proper utilization of sports infrastructure.
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