Sports seminar ends on optimistic note

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 11. The National sports seminar on the ``Challenges before the Indian sports scene in the 21st century'' held here on Friday concluded on an optimistic note and with the hope of the country shrugging its ills and achieving sporting glory in the middle of the current century.

There was a common plea to enhance the allotment of funds for sports by the Union Government and the need for making sports a compulsory subject in schools.

Speakers at the seminar felt that the malice effecting sports was so deeprooted that it would require a concerted effort from all concerned to cleanse the system.

Inaugurating the seminar, the Kerala Governor, Mr. Sukhdev Singh Kang, bluntly said that almost everyone associated with sports in the country were equally responsible for the plummeting standard. He felt that sportpersons should be guided properly to see that they attain a high level of performance.

``Only through proper commitment, dedication and hardwork can one achieve glory.'' The Governor said that there was an erosion of these values among the present-day sportpersons.

The Bengal Sports Minister, Mr. Subash Chakraborty, said that only through quantity comes quality. ``We must ensure that our children should pursue sports seriously. Only then can we get a handful of quality sportpersons from them.'' He also called for an increase in allotment of funds for sports in the Union Budget. There were limitations before State Governments and various agencies and it is up to the Centre to take up the issue, he said.

The Himachal Pradesh Sports Minister Mr. Praveen Sharma, felt that sports should be made part of education and achievers should be rewarded properly to sustain interest among masses.

Mr. B.K. Mittal, the SAI Director-General also felt the need for the enhancement of funds allotted to sports by the Union government. He said a structural revamp of the sports bodies, making it more accountable would do a world of good for sports. He said despite its limitations, SAI was doing a good job in promoting sports in the country. However, Mittal was confident that India would tide over its shortcomings in future and strike it big. He said the resurgence shown by India in certain events was encouraging making him an optimist in this regard.

Earlier, Mr. K. Unnikrishnan presented a paper on how to meet the challenges of the 21st century. In his presentation, he stressed the need for a National sports policy and called for the involvement of the panchayats for improving the sports in the country. He said that sports should be made compulsory and grades should be earmarked for physical fitness of the student and for sporting achievements.

Dr. G. Kishore and Dr. Thomas Mathew, also presented papers at the seminar. The Kerala Sports Minister, Mr. V. C. Kabeer presided.

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