JOIN US'Ground' realities keep sport events grounded
The recently concluded Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyaan (PYKA) conducted by the Department of Youth Services and the Dasara sports meet, were redundant with a lot of problems. There were several complaints reported on the lack of facilities on these Grounds, where all the events were conducted.
The sports meet organised for the primary and high school students, followed by the above programmes, also faced the sam e hassles. Even after all this, if the Education Department has not leant a lesson, then it definitely is a pathetic situation. The Education Department should have atleast crosscheck the facilities available on the Grounds. It should have taken the complaints of the sportspersons seriously and shoul d have attended to them, before conducting the events.
The racing track is strewn with pebbles and even thorns, while the high jump and the long jump pits are made of sturdy ground, there is no drinking water facility for the sportspersons, nor there are toilets on the Grounds. The ambulance is not to be seen.
Bhavya, a member of N G Hulkur Girls Team, which has reached the finals in the Kabaddi tournament, said, “We have come from far-off places. And we carry our lunch. Now the authorities are asking us to carry water also.
The organisers should have atleast thought on making arrangements for the sameSays Sangeetha, from the same team, “We need to change at times. There is no place to even change our clothes. We usually change in a small van. This is something very embarrassing,” she added.
What should we do during an emergency? An ambulance is a must during the conduct of events, he said.
The sports meet, spread over three days, will witness a total of 500 students taking part in the various events. Since, only Kabaddi tournament was conducted on Tuesday, the students could not make out the anomalies prevailing there.
But on Wednesday, when the relay and the running races being held, it was then that th e students realised the pain they had to undergo, while running on the tracks. Most of the students were injured, while participating in the sports activities. If only the officers concerned, did something about this.