Open Sports Institutes For Producing Excellent Sportspersons

By: Dec 30th, 2017 12:21 am

Bhupinder Singh

(The writer is a national athletics coach)

Himachal Pradesh lacked sports infrastructure till last decade. Prem Kumar Dhumal erected sports infrastructure for different sports in six districts of the state as per facilities available there during his tenure as chief minister. An astroturf for hockey has been laid at Una, but ironically hockey as a sport is not present in sports hostel there.     Padam Shree Charanjit Singh has traversed the journey of Olympic gold medal in men’s category from Himachal while Sita Gosain represented India numerous times in hockey. Who does not know Deepak Thakur, one of the exceptional players Hockey India has produced? Himachali girls also win medals every year in school and senior national hockey championships. Can’t Himachal provide world class hockey players to the country by hiring and international level hockey trainer on contract on the likes of Punjab?

A world class synthetic track has been laid for athletics in Dharamshala. The synthetic track is being used for national training camps besides being used by sports hostel of Sports Authority of India.  However the synthetics track laid at government college premises in Hamirpur after five years is still waiting for sportspersons and good trainers. Optimum use of this facility can be ensured by managing a sports hostel for boys and girls here.

Two swimming pools constructed at Mandi and Una are have gone dry in wait of trainers for the last two decades. Will the state government give impetus to this sport by appointing trainers here? The indoor stadiums constructed for indoor games are proving white elephants. However it is another aspect that officials remove their boredom here by playing badminton and table tennis during evening time. No body knows when will the sports department use these facilities to train young sportspersons of the state.

Demand of establishing sports wings in government colleges as per sports infrastructure available is being raised for last three decades. But neither the sports department nor education department paid heed to this suggestion. Most of the colleges of the state have hostel facility. The sports wing can be raised in the same infrastructure by spending a little amount as per the sports infrastructure available in the college.

Himachal Pradesh has big artificial lakes in the form of Govind Sagar lake, Pong dam and Kol dam. Punjab and other neighbouring states organise water sports competitions here. Why Himachal sports department could not organise such event or championship here in coordination with adjoining colleges and schools? Why Himachal’s team did not featured in school national championship or inter university level in water sports competitions despite the fact that the trainer for water sports are appointed in Himachal? The climate and atmosphere for sports is perfect in Himachal. Himachal can give talented and world class sportspersons to the country if sports department, different sports associations, university and state education department run the show in coordination with each other by opening sports institutes as per talent and facility available in the respective area.


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