Sportspersons want better facilities, treatment

Meetings in Kolar, CB Pur precede planning of State government’s sports policy.

The meetings called at the deputy commissioners’ offices on Thursday to discuss the formulation of a sports policy by the State government involved senior and former sportspersons and physical trainers.

While in Chikkaballapur ex-athletes demanded better priority to sports in the government programmes, many senior sportspersons in Kolar said the Youth Services and Sports Department should be bifurcated to concentrate on youth and sports separately.

‘Trainers needed’

Appointment of sports trainers in all taluks is a necessity to promote and guide budding sportspersons in the district, said senior athlete Manchanabale Srinivas, in Chikkaballapur.

“Sports should get priority and gymnasiums should be opened at taluk or district levels, where sportspersons will be appropriately trained by experienced trainers to reach high levels of achievement,” he added. “The State government, which has set about implementing sports rules, should regard the suggestions and opinions of experienced sportspersons.”

Physical trainer Maruthi, added that the State government should identify sports achievers and provide them government jobs. “Primary school students need physical training, but trainers are not appointed, unless there are at least 200 to 250 students.

This, however, is in accordance with a government order. Often, students who wish to be trained in sports are also not provided hostel facilities, which discourages them from joining a sports training camp in the first place,” he rued, asking the government to look into the matter and take alternative measures to improve the condition.

Chikkaballapur Pre-university Board of Education deputy director Janabai S Waghmare, Youth Services and Sports Department deputy director Jayalakshmi and others were present.

Kolar

The functioning of the Youth Services and Sports Department was severely criticised by many former and senior sportspersons, who felt the new policy should work better for the all-round development of sports.

“The Department has utterly failed in the identification of sports talents in the district. It has no list of athletes who have represented the district at state-level and national-level sports meets. There are no efforts taken to promote physically challenged sportspersons,” complained some of them.

The new sports policy should focus on issues like providing better travel and stay facilities to athletes who come to cities from rural areas, requested Srinivas Gowda, member of the Physical Trainers’ Association district unit.

There are fine athletes in various sports fields, but they have no proper trainers to guide them, complained Tyagaraj of the Kanaka Basketball Club.

Physical trainer Abdul Mannan’s suggestion that retired sportspersons could be paid honoraria and appointed as trainers on priority basis was greatly appreciated by those present at the meeting.

“The sports facilities in the district are severely underutilised. Sports activities too have been sidelined. The construction of an indoor stadium is on for several years now,” noticed Additional Superintendent of Police H R Bhagavan Das.

Senior sportsperson Anche Ashwath expressed dissatisfaction that most sports meets, including during Dasara, on only formalities. “The Sports Department and the City Municipality disregard the necessities of sports clubs. Most athletes are very often treated worthless,” he complained.

CMC initiative

Mahendra Kumar, commissioner of the City Municipal Council, asked for an Urban Development Department order that two per cent of the
revenue of every municipality to be reserved for the maintenance of stadiums.

Appreciating the suggestion, and clarifying that decisions on the utilisation of government society funds can be taken by the district administration itself, Deputy Commissioner D S Vishwanath told Mahendra Kumar, to take up the maintenance of the district stadium right away.

District Volleyball Club member M Subramani assured that the travel expenses of senior athlete V Marappa, who has been selected for a veterans’ sports meet in China, would be borne by the Club.

Committee member and Retired Chief Executive Director of Sports Authority, M P Ganesh, Youth Services and Sports Department Retired Commissioner A J Anandan, Joint Director R Ramegowda, committee member and Arjuna Awardee B C Ramesh were present.