Vishal Bharti
Jammu, April 29 (UNI) While the sports sector is witnessing a boom across the Union Territory, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council — the body governing sports activities — is facing major challenges and issues for smooth sailing including lack of manpower in maintaining existing infrastructure facilities in all the districts.
Notably, Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council is headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha as its president.
In a documentation presentation, (accessed by UNI) titled “Success Stories, Initiatives and Future Plans of J&K Sports Council” the governing body has admitted that several issues and challenges are being faced in aggressively taking this sector to achieve its goal of making the region hub of sports.
In issues and challenges section as per the document, the Sports Council has admitted shortage of expertise viz professional coaches, sports management professionals, technical experts, sports science experts, dietitians and nutritionists.
However, lack of manpower in maintaining and up-keeping the existence infrastructure facilities in all districts of Jammu and Kashmir is one of the major challenges for the Sports Council besides watch and ward facilities in every stadia, play fields across the Union Territory vis-a-vis dire need of residential facilities for trainees at Srinagar, Jammu and Gulmarg in major, popular sports disciplines, where players can be groomed in a professional atmosphere aiming to reach to the podium at National and International level.
Official sources in the Sports Council revealed to UNI that several success stories, initiatives and future plans of J&K Sports Council were carried out as a tool to wean away youth from banned drugs, militancy, stone pelting, anti-social evils and diversion towards the national stream.
Reliably, it is learnt that the document has been submitted to the government for its future implementation on ground in totality, so that sports can be groomed and flourished in every nook and corner of the Jammu and Kashmir.
Moreover, sources said that as per the action plan 2021-22, which are under execution, the Sports Council is planning to conduct long distance skiing competitions and regatta, holding of J&K UT level competitions in various recognized sports disciplines through sports associations and in-house structure, conduct of selections trials for fielding of teams for national level competitions through recognized sports associations, organizing residential coaching camps for selecting squad, teams, contingent representing in national competitions, hosting of national level competitions in J&K Rollball, Volleyball, Soft Tennis, Thang-ta, Kayaking and Canoeing, Gymnastics, holding of Snow Skiing Courses at Gulmarg and Patnitop.
Hosting of 3rd Khelo India National Winter Games at Gulmarg, conduct of Water Sports Competitions at Basholi and Mansar, hosting of national events in 17 sports disciplines for providing exposure to the talented athletes and interaction with the reputed players of the country.
Special programme on the involvement of mass youth in sports activities with a target of Rs 7.50 lakhs in different sports disciplines, special girls league programme in football and cricket setting up at residential sports academies especially for hockey, football and gymnastics, special drug de-addiction events to bring paradigm shift of youth from drug menace and much is under execution.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday under ‘Jubilant J&K’ claimed that the administration is taking various initiatives to create world-class infrastructure and introduced new policies to make J&K a powerhouse of sports.
“We are committed to extending all possible support to the local sportspersons, who strive hard to make J&K and the nation proud in different sports disciplines, ” J&K administration official said.
He said that the sports policy is not merely focusing on activities like Cricket, Football but is now giving importance to popular activities like Volleyball, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Water Sports and Winter Sports as well, which were ignored in the past.
The development of sports infrastructure which started after the abrogation of Article 370 is bringing ground-breaking change to the sports arena of J&K.
According to official figures, the medal tally of J&K at National level competitions in 2020-21 in 14 disciplines was 72 gold, 90 silver and 145 bronze medals.
