The Hindu : Sport : Sports policy to be put before cabinet in January

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Saturday, Dec 22, 2007
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Sports policy to be put before cabinet in January

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: The Union Sports Minister, Mani Shankar Aiyar, stole the thunder from Viswanathan Anand, as he used the platform to focus on the ills of Indian sports, at the prize distribution function of the NIIT Mind Champions Masters event here on Thursday, even as he showered praise on the World chess champion.

The Sports Minister stressed that the biggest problem was that sports was figuring in the State subject along with arts, crafts, etc.

He projected as to how Cuba was able to win 179 medals in 2006 for every 10 million of its population as compared to the relative figure of 0.05 for India, and pointed out that the success of Cuba was because every child was going to school and physical education was being given top priority in the curriculum over the last five decades.

Basic facilities

Aiyar said that it was important to provide basic sports facilities to every panchayat in the country, and bemoaned the fact that it was easier getting Rs. 6,000 crore sanctioned for a 10-day extravaganza like the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

“With the same budget, we can provide sports facilities to all the Panchayats in the country over the next 10 years. But the way the Planning Commission has sanctioned in the 11th five-year plan, it will take us 40 years to reach the target,” he said.

To a pointed question, the minister was quick to concede that the successful conduct of the Commonwealth Games was equally important as the commitment had been made. He said that it was unfair to neglect Indian sports in the bargain.

“We have to open the purse strings with the same generosity. We need to get our priorities right,” he said.

Lack of cooperation

Aiyar was upset about the lack of cooperation from the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) towards the comprehensive draft sports policy and said that the IOA had failed to find time to attend three meetings so far to discuss the subject.

“We have studied the draft carefully after discussing with a number of sportspersons before the Arjuna Awards function. We are ready to look at the legal matters with regard to the self-regulation of sports bodies.

“We are already late by four months and we cannot be waiting for ever. We plan to put the policy before the cabinet in January,” Aiyar said as he revealed the recent interest shown by the IOA President, Suresh Kalmadi, to discuss the matter with the ministry.

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