Honour Sports Talent Suitably To Encourage Budding Sportspersons

Bhupinder Singh

(The writer is national athletics coach)

Olympic Games are world’s biggest and grandest sports show. Organised every four years in leap year, Olympic Games started in 776 BC from Greece. Besides exhibition of power of an individual and country, these games were also organised for global brotherhood. Entire world was busy in wars when these games were stopped. However these games restarted once again in 1896 and were known as modern Olympics. Winning a medal in these games is far off matter, even participation is a matter of pride for any individual or country.

Ironically, no Himachali has been able to represent India in Olympic Games while receiving training here. However it is a different story that ex-subedar Anant Ram from Bilaspur district had represented India in 1952 Olympics in Gymnastics category on the foundation of training he received during his Army service. Training programme of Punjab played an important role behind gold medal victory of hockey team led by Padam Shree Charanjeet Singh in 1964 Tokyo Olympics. He remained director, sports and youth activities in Himachal Pradesh University for a long period and lives in Una after retirement. Mohinder Lal from Una had also represented India in 1980 Olympic games. This IG rank level officer of paramilitary forces has also received his training outside Himachal.

Sanklan Dorje, a native of tribal district Lahaul Spiti had also represented India in Olympics. He traversed the sports journey up to Olympics under special training centre scheme of Sports Authority of India (SAI). He is serving at the post of Youth Coordinator in Himachal Pradesh, Youth Services and Sports Department presently. The state’s sports department should have taken services of this Olympics player as a trainer. SAI has made a rule wherein any Olympian is always welcome if he or she wants to serve as a trainer. Dorje, who has mastered the art of archery, on similar lines could have taught the skills of this sport to young budding players. Hamirpur’s Vijay Kumar while representing India has won silver medal in shooting in 2012 London Olympics. He learned all tricks and skills of shooting during his army service and earned numerous medals for the country at international level. Retired from Army as Subedar Major, he is looking for an honourable post in the state. Silver medalist P.V. Sindhu has been appointed as Deputy Collector by Andhra Pradesh government. Himachal government too can profit from the experience of and skills of Vijay Kumar by appointing him at civil services level post. Himachal has failed to even give job to hockey star from Una, Deepak Thakur, who received training in Punjab and traversed the journey up to Olympics while representing India. There are numerous other such names who despite achieving great heights in sports field were forgotten totally by the state government. The government should give them due honour so that the young talent is encouraged to pursue a career in sports too.

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