Dying and not playing is important for the Government. If we need to stay alive there is no way other than practising to die, this was said by Nisha, a player residing at the sports facility at Birsa Munda Stadium and eyeing to scale high at national and international events sans encouragement. Her outburst seems justified seeing the fates of the likes of Vindhyavasini, the national level Kabbadi player, who had to threaten hunger -strike for the sake of job.
The saga is not unknown for sportspersons of Jharkhand who have to converge on streets and clean boots and cars to lodge their protest against the Government apathy on ‘National Sports Day’ on August 29. This must have been one of the reasons why the prospective players are even thinking to snub their own State and play for others hoping of any better treatment.
“We have got several offers seeking names for boxing, taekwondo, lawn ball and athletics. Kerala is going to hold the 36th National Games and most of the demands for players have come from there,” said Madhukant Pathak, president of Jharkhand Athletics Association. Notwithstanding under pressure to perform at someone else’s backyard as borrow players, many are weighting the option considering the highhandedness back home.
The resentment is more since the Government on July 13 this year rectified its own policy in place since 2007. The shift means a lot for the sportspersons as it promises jobs only for performers at the international events conducted after a gap of four years. “They made it for only players taking part in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the World Cups. It is very disappointing as the events take place after long gap and also need exceptional performance,” said a sports official.
The change is in no way serving the purpose of the policy which promises to encourage talents in the State by providing livelihood security to the players so that they can focus on their sports. The 2007 policy had provision for a Class-II job for bringing an Olympic medal and even a Class-IV job for State level performers. leave alone the jobs, since 2011 medal winners at the national level are not paid their Rs 6,000 as stipend on regular basis.
“Even if there is change in the policy regarding jobs in 2014, how many sportspersons have been employed before that as the earlier policy was in placeIJ Responding to the resentments and intervention of the Chief Minister the Sport Director had called all the spots associations for a meeting on August 27. We have given them in writing our grievances but it is a long chain as it would go the Cabinet and all,” added Pathak, who sounded hopeless with the effort as the stipend issue had caught so called bug of ‘model code of conduct’ which is again coming in the way anytime from now.
The sports persons of Jharkhand feel envious of to their counterparts in Haryana and others States and may also knock the door of the court as more than 3000 players had sent their applications when invited in 2012. “Notification in this regard is there. How can they pick and drop individuals and ignore the larger massIJ But it is not a healthy situation for us. We are here just to play but…,” said a lawn Ball player who went to Glasgow to participate in the Commonwealth Games.
Moreover, State’s priority list is clear. Its website flashes ‘pay and play’ at the top whereas sports policy and encouragements for the welfare of sportspersons nowhere!