Date:02/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/02/stories/2008030256700100.htm

Front Page

Many Ramnad villages sport new look

C. Jaishankar

RAMANATHAPURAM: Balamurugan of Nagatchi, a seaside hamlet in Ramanathapuram district, is in high spirits these days.

The 16-year-old youth’s exuberance has a valid reason: he is now able to use sports infrastructure normally found in cities.

He plays cricket with his classmates and friends, in full gear — helmet, thigh pads and gloves. Besides cricket, the infrastructure for other sports such as badminton, tennis and volleyball also greet the boys and girls in the village, thanks to the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumlarchi Thittam.

Nagatchi is one of the 172 villages in the district where all basic sports facilities have been created so far.

Creating sports infrastructure in rural areas is a main component of the government scheme, aimed at overall development of villages.

The progress of the scheme suggests that provision of sports infrastructure is making a slow but steady progress in rural areas.

“It will really give a boost to encourage sports in rural areas. The villages that have not seen sports activities till now are going to have all basic facilities for sports. It will certainly develop sports culture in rural areas,” says Pooja Kulkarni, Additional Collector and Project Officer of District Rural Development Agency.

K. Subburam, Assistant Project Officer, said that out of Rs.20 lakh for each village under the scheme, Rs.1 lakh was being spent for creating sports infrastructure alone.