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Sports Councils do you know?
In the times when Jammu & Kashmir Government State Sports Council is claiming large plans to revive the sports infrastructure and sports activities in general, the Ladakh region sans even play grounds.
In 21st century the youth of the region is devoid of such basic sports facility raises eye brows and serious question mark not only on current regime but all previous governments. The ironic truth of Ladakh region consisting -Leh and Kargil- has no playfield at all exposes the tall claims of the government and apathy at the part of the sports council.
It is being observed that the state of Jammu & Kashmir has enough talent in different sports filed but the lack of the infrastructure and support discourages youngsters to opt sports as a career. The matter of the fact is that despite such a plight of sports scenario in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has sportspersons like, Ishfaq Ahmed Indian Football Team player, Mehrajuddin Wadoo Indian Football team player, Mithun Manhas Indian Premier League player, Parvez Rasool Indian International Cricket Team player, Shubham Khajuria Cricketer, Suresh Raina Indian International Cricket Team player, Chain Singh J&K’s first Olympian, Asian Games 2014 Bronze Medal winner in shooting, Manzoor Pandav Cricketer, Tajamul Islam Kick boxing Champion to its credit.
According to officials in state Sports Council, Srinagar district accounts for 29 of the 103 playfields of Kashmir, Jammu district has half of the 34 playfields in entire Jammu region which consists of 10 districts and surprisingly Ladakh region consisting Leh and Kargil districts has no play field at all. Jammu and Kashmir needs 2500 playfields for its 1.21 crore population to harness its true sporting potential and take sports from the capitals to other districts and towns of the state, according to the State Sports Council.
Experts believe the existing 137 play fields in Jammu and Srinagar are too insufficient in number for proper sports environment for budding sportspersons in the state. No doubt the council claims to have formulated a significant plan for facilitating sports in the state, but the major challenge and constrain always remain funding.
The irony which has always turned a setback to the sportsmanship here in the state is ‘No resources’. But the serious question arise is that where have been the funds granted by the state and central government for sports utilized in last many decades.
Interestingly right from the officials and government everyone claims that there is enormous talent and potential as far as sports is concerned, but lack of proper sporting facilities is proving a major stumbling block in the transition of players from the state to the level where they will be in reckoning for representing the country. But the policies to counter these hurdles and utilizes this talent properly sans.
Be it any sports from cricket to football or hockey to kick boxing, playfields, turf, academies and off course trainings are marring talented youngster of the state.
Apart from the cricketers from state who have emerged in national series, there are the athletes from the state who have won over 250 medals in zonal and national level sporting events during 2016-17. This performance of the state’s sportspersons challenging all odds and poor infrastructure is testimony to the enthusiasm for sports in the state.
In between if the sports council as per its projections for infrastructure development wants the number of playing fields in Baramulla district to be increased from present 22 to 320 and wants to add 258 playing grounds to the existing 17 grounds in Anantnag district, proposed 200 playing fields for Udhampur district, 197 for Rajouri, 185 for Kathua, 175 for Jammu district, and around 100 each play fields for other districts of the division, Doda (50) and Samba (68) districts have got a proposal of less than 100 play fields and the council, in its report, has laid major thrust on increasing the number of play fields in Jammu division from 34 to 1302 to provide better sporting opportunities to the huge population of youngsters.
But the Ladakh region seems facing discrimination so far as per the sports council’s development plan. The council must come up with balanced and nondiscriminatory project plan to utilize the available funds besides offing more funds to give a major push in the decaying and neglected sports. And the sports council is answerable to discrimination and failure if any.
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