Punjab Government has set the ball rolling for achieving the goal of excellence in sports. Padding up for identifying talent in sports, the Government has decided to “catch them young” and watch them grow as sports stars.
Aiming at having the maximum number of players from Punjab in the next Indian contingent for the Olympic Games, the state government has partially made operational this Institute, set up at Mohali.
The state government would try to tap the young talent right from the early days and train them. “The selection criteria would be of two to three stages. First would be the base level, and then the next levels to check how much capable one is,” said the Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal.
Also holding Sports portfolio, Sukhbir said that the budding sports students would be given all the facilities in the Institute including world-class coaching, boarding and lodging, diet, transport, training, equipments, and psychologists, besides others, and the “state government would bear the entire expenditure”.
Sukhbir said that the Institute would have special directorates for 11 different sports disciplines. “The process of recruiting the directors is going on, and two directors will be appointed by December 30. Rest of the appointments would be made by the next year,” he said. He said that by the next year, coaches for the Institute would also be recruited, including the international ones.
With an estimated cost of `100 crore, the project is being undertaken under the overall supervision of Olympian and former Indian hockey team captain Pargat Singh, also SAD MlA. “We are working with the aim that the next Indian contingent would have maximum Punjabis, and to increase the country’s medal tally,” said Sukhbir.
He rued that no attention was paid to the country’s sports infrastructure, and that was why, “most of the medal winners are from individual sports, who won medals only because of their own individual effort and funds… where does poor who cannot afford would go”.
“I would personally request the Prime Minister and the Union Sports Minister for substantial increase in sports budget so that Indian players could compete at the international level,” he said. Highlighting the initiatives taken by the State Government to promote sports, Sukhbir said that Punjab is the first state in the country to create dedicated sports fund to develop sports infrastructure.
“Punjab is spending `80 to `90 crore per year for sports infrastructure and activities and contemplating to increase this budget to more than `100 crore from next year… We have setup 10 multipurpose stadia and six astroturf hockey stadiums,” he said, adding that out of three world class astroturfs in India, two are in Punjab.
NEW JOB POlICY FOR SPORTSPERSONS
Chandigarh: Punjab government will soon come out with a new job policy for the sportspersons. The policy would be placed before the state cabinet in its next meeting to give it a final shape.
Under this policy, the players who would be recruited on the government jobs would have to spend their “first 10 years” in the state sports department on deputation to contribute in developing sports talent. “125 jobs have been listed under this new job policy for the sportspersons who are bringing laurels to the state by registering victories at international sports events,” said Sukhbir. He said, “We will also ensure promotions to the players besides fixing incentives for coaches.”