The formulation of new terms and conditions by the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) for inclusion of sports/games to keep a check on participation of J&K sportspersons in unimportant disciplines in the National School Games has failed to yield any desired result. Innocent players continued to be misguided by individuals with vested interests.
Sources said for the past few years, the performance graph of the state contingent, which is already poor in the National School Games, has worsened, especially after inclusion of new games/disciplines, especially in the martial arts category.
They added that the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS), which is the apex body to host competitions under the National School Games in different disciplines, had failed to keep a check on the ever-increasing number of less important disciplines. There was a complete mockery of new terms and conditions of the SGFI and the department was a mute spectator.
“The performance of players in major disciplines like hockey, judo, badminton, table tennis and swimming is below average, but when it comes to new disciplines, the medal tally of J&K creates new records, which actually is just an eyewash. More than 10 new disciplines have been added to the existing list of around 70 disciplines, which itself speaks volumes about the prevailing state of affairs of sports in the state,” sources claimed.
The sources added that the Sports Department was conducting competitions at the district, state and division-level in major disciplines like kho-kho, kabaddi, football, fencing, badminton, swimming, table tennis, judo, volleyball, basketball, athletics, etc, but the competitions in non-important disciplines to select state teams also continued with impunity.
A sub-committee of the SGFI was formed a few years back. It was decided that the popular sports/games of India and which are in the Olympic Games, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian School Sports Federation and World School Games would be given preference as regular sports/games of the SGFI.
Meanwhile, a senior officer of the DYSS said, “The matter has been taken into consideration and it will be ensured that no more new disciplines are added”.
State players continue to be misguided, participate in less important games
