Yet another national sports meet began at Ranchi’s Hotwar sports complex on Friday wherein the athletes were welcomed in untidy rooms and toilets. It is the 11th National Inter District Athletics Championship for Under-14 and Under 16 age groups where the players are served meals in messy ambience without any sitting arrangements. lifts are dysfunctional and staircases of the apartments are in immediate need of cleanliness.
The state has even failed to provide sports kits including tracksuit and shoes to its own 17 district athletes contesting here. “Many of the boys and girls have somehow been accommodated in limited rooms. There is irregular water supply in all the bathrooms. Flush is not working,” said a male athlete from West Bengal.
On the other side, Bihar team boys showed the ‘Gutka Spit’ wash basins and balconies which they are forced to use as there is no other alternative. Manipur athletes said, “The automatic door locks of our rooms are not working. We are not getting chapatti since the day of arrival.” Few of the male athletes of Chhattisgarh team are staying without any electricity provision. They said, “last night when we reached, there was no food arrangement and we were given only rice and dal.” “No one is listening to our problems,” added a player of Chhattisgarh. “We are here to perform but are also cleaning the washrooms because it is not at all in a usable condition,” said boys and girls from districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Jharkhand Athletics Association (JAA) President Madhu Kant Pathak who is also the Joint Secretary of Athletics Federation of India (AFI) said that they did not get time to look over these problems. “The 59th National School Games concluded on January 13 and contingents for this meet arrived from the next day. Due to this reason, we did not get sufficient time for cleaning. Though now we are in process of cleaning which will be completed by Saturday afternoon,” said Pathak.
However, the sweepers at these apartments were seen cleaning only those toilets which have less dirt. When asked the reason a sweeper mentioned, “We are doing our job sincerely. The rooms will be cleaned by lady sweepers.” A senior AFI official on the condition of anonymity informed that AFI is unable to manage such problems at Ranchi but the availability of sports infrastructure in technical terms compared to other venues of India makes it host national and international games. The official said, “Hospitality arrangements are far better in Haridwar where these games have been conducted nine times. In Ranchi this is for the second time this sports meet is being organized. There is lack of coordination among our officers and Jharkhand state athletics association members.”
Additional Director General of Police (Special Branch) Rezi Dung Dung unveiled the programme at Birsa Munda Athletics stadium on Friday and felt the need of awareness among female sportspersons regarding wrestling and weightlifting events. Also, he encouraged the mental and physical abilities of these district teenagers.