SANJEEV SHARMA
Criticizing the neighbour for every dam thing, those associated with sports in Jammu and Kashmir should take a lesson from Pakistan for the way as sports loving nation encourages its sportspersons by offering them handful of incentives before they depart for any big event where country’s prestige is involved. Recently in that country in the presence of President Pervez Musharraf, the Pakistan Cricket Board made an announcement to make the country’s cricketers richer by Rs 50 lakh each if they manage to win the prestigious World Cup. Such kind of encouragement really matters for a sportsman, who actually fights for the nation like a soldier. In fact, the incentives play the role of a motivating force for the players to do their best.
In India where people think that Pakistan is backward and can’t match with the fast growing economy of the world, back home there was not any big announcement for the cricketers what to talk of other less popular games like hockey, football etc. However, some sports loving states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Manipur and Karnataka are doing a good job in making the players richer every time they excel at any international event. If one look at Jammu and Kashmir, a state otherwise affected by militancy, hardly any attempt has been made to encourage the sportspersons. And when the time come for some big announcement, what the Minister promised was not sufficient enough to boost and further energise the players for a do or die game in the prestigious 33rd National Games at Guwahati in Assam. The Sports Minister, Babu Singh might have been feeling that he had offered something big, but to the dismay of players they were expecting a big deal. The amount offered to the players excelling in the highest sporting event of the country was so small. The announced cash incentives were Rs 20,000 for a Gold winner, Rs 10,000 for a Silver medalist and just Rs 5000 for others finishing third. Alright, whatever meager amount was offered should have been handed over to the players soon after they returned. Almost a week has gone when the teams came back Jammu, but there seems hardly any action on the part of the Sports Ministry to either expose the winners to the media or decide a date to hold a felicitation function. The Ministry should have taken atleast the winners to the Chief Minister and Governor’s residence for introduction. But who cares.
Sunday, March 4, 2007
Friday, March 2, 2007
Sweet 16: Emerging J&K sports scenario
JAMMU: 16, the highest ever medals tally by Jammu and Kashmir in the 33rd edition of the National Games, country’s highest sports event, has infused a new blood in the dead sports of this militancy infested state.
Considerably State’s highest achievement in earlier editions of National Games was in 31st Games where in J&K had won nine medals, followed by seven in 32nd edition and three in the 30th.
This time the event was held under the aegis of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at Guwahati in Northern Eastern state of Assam. The medals came in the events of Wushu, Gymnastics, Fencing, Boxing and Aquatics.
It seems that sports too have contributed its share to the ongoing peace process by way of bringing in a feeling of satisfaction among the sports fraternity of the state. By doing more than expectations of those associated with the games and sports, the ambassadors of the state have proved that Jammu and Kashmir is no way less to their counterparts in other states, but what lags them behind is lack of motivation.
Required incentives
The happiness of the winners and others in the 103-member contingent, including 27 officials from the state has no bounds, but what needed to be done is to add to their jubilations by giving them unexpected incentives. The already announced cash incentives at the time of team’s departure by the Minister for Sports, Babu Singh at M A Stadium on February 4 was Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for those winning Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals respectively. The meager amount is no way going to encourage the sporting talent.
Mitali new hope in State Gymnastics
On finding the state writing new chapter in its sports history, winning bag full of medals, the Minister back home has announced a special prize for the teenager Gymnast, Mitali, who has won as many as five medals, including one Gold, one Silver and three Bronze. Inspector with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Kuldeep Handoo and his team-mate, Arjun Singh clinched Gold, a piece brining jubilations the entire police force. Other individual medal winners were Rakesh Singh, Silver (Wushu), Shiuvani Hans and Sanjeev Suri, Bronze (Fencing), Sandeep Bhushan, Bronze (Boxing).
MA Stadium poor in sports facilities
Unfortunately, the events which helped the state establish a new record in the National Games remained a neglected lot. The Gymnasts, who earlier had also fetched many laurels to the state, struggled a lot to get a suitable venue for even practice purposes before their departure for the mission.
They managed Indoor Hall of the BSF Stadium in the city outskirts at Paloura for practice, the Fencers too had same story to tell. They even don’t have a hall to practice at the MA Stadium and usually practice on stairs. Wushu, yet another sport that brought the moments of proud for the state winning two gold for the first time, too was victim of lack of infrastructure but individual efforts of players and coaches guided them excel.
So, it is players, coaches and their individual efforts that have earned name and respect for the state at the National Games and there is little credit for the administrative machinery to claim out of this feat.
Convince parents, sports may reach new heights
The discouraged and least interested in sports, parents if convinced that their wards is going to get the recognition, the desired monetary benefits and above all a career to build on, there is no force on earth to stop sport from reaching new heights.
Presently, most of the educated parents, who are sending their children to the stadium, have just one aim to get some certificates to make their ward eligible for fetching a seat in the professional colleges in sports category, while others do it for keeping themselves fit.
No doubt the games that won most of the medals are confined to the limits of Capital cities and lesser exposed events still the triumph is going to bring a change in the overall sports scenario of the state.
It would encourage the hidden talent to come forward by giving the society, who plays an important role in developing sports culture, food for thought.
Harldy qualify
Jammu and Kashmir hardly qualify for participation in the team events except for Handball and Aquatics. However, Aquatics won in individuals, the Handball could not finish among the first three. As per the laid down norms for participation in the National Games, the Indian Olympic Association allows only those state teams that finish among the first eight in the Senior National Championships, again organised under the banner of IOA.
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Considerably State’s highest achievement in earlier editions of National Games was in 31st Games where in J&K had won nine medals, followed by seven in 32nd edition and three in the 30th.
This time the event was held under the aegis of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) at Guwahati in Northern Eastern state of Assam. The medals came in the events of Wushu, Gymnastics, Fencing, Boxing and Aquatics.
It seems that sports too have contributed its share to the ongoing peace process by way of bringing in a feeling of satisfaction among the sports fraternity of the state. By doing more than expectations of those associated with the games and sports, the ambassadors of the state have proved that Jammu and Kashmir is no way less to their counterparts in other states, but what lags them behind is lack of motivation.
Required incentives
The happiness of the winners and others in the 103-member contingent, including 27 officials from the state has no bounds, but what needed to be done is to add to their jubilations by giving them unexpected incentives. The already announced cash incentives at the time of team’s departure by the Minister for Sports, Babu Singh at M A Stadium on February 4 was Rs 20,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for those winning Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals respectively. The meager amount is no way going to encourage the sporting talent.
Mitali new hope in State Gymnastics
On finding the state writing new chapter in its sports history, winning bag full of medals, the Minister back home has announced a special prize for the teenager Gymnast, Mitali, who has won as many as five medals, including one Gold, one Silver and three Bronze. Inspector with Jammu and Kashmir Police, Kuldeep Handoo and his team-mate, Arjun Singh clinched Gold, a piece brining jubilations the entire police force. Other individual medal winners were Rakesh Singh, Silver (Wushu), Shiuvani Hans and Sanjeev Suri, Bronze (Fencing), Sandeep Bhushan, Bronze (Boxing).
MA Stadium poor in sports facilities
Unfortunately, the events which helped the state establish a new record in the National Games remained a neglected lot. The Gymnasts, who earlier had also fetched many laurels to the state, struggled a lot to get a suitable venue for even practice purposes before their departure for the mission.
They managed Indoor Hall of the BSF Stadium in the city outskirts at Paloura for practice, the Fencers too had same story to tell. They even don’t have a hall to practice at the MA Stadium and usually practice on stairs. Wushu, yet another sport that brought the moments of proud for the state winning two gold for the first time, too was victim of lack of infrastructure but individual efforts of players and coaches guided them excel.
So, it is players, coaches and their individual efforts that have earned name and respect for the state at the National Games and there is little credit for the administrative machinery to claim out of this feat.
Convince parents, sports may reach new heights
The discouraged and least interested in sports, parents if convinced that their wards is going to get the recognition, the desired monetary benefits and above all a career to build on, there is no force on earth to stop sport from reaching new heights.
Presently, most of the educated parents, who are sending their children to the stadium, have just one aim to get some certificates to make their ward eligible for fetching a seat in the professional colleges in sports category, while others do it for keeping themselves fit.
No doubt the games that won most of the medals are confined to the limits of Capital cities and lesser exposed events still the triumph is going to bring a change in the overall sports scenario of the state.
It would encourage the hidden talent to come forward by giving the society, who plays an important role in developing sports culture, food for thought.
Harldy qualify
Jammu and Kashmir hardly qualify for participation in the team events except for Handball and Aquatics. However, Aquatics won in individuals, the Handball could not finish among the first three. As per the laid down norms for participation in the National Games, the Indian Olympic Association allows only those state teams that finish among the first eight in the Senior National Championships, again organised under the banner of IOA.
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