Dear Editor,
If we want to improve the standard of games to the level of Olympic, we need to take two steps only:
(i) Firstly encourage private sports academies in this area who can build basic infrastructure in the country that is the basic requirement. Because after six decades of independence, how many badminton courts, swimming pools, boxing rings, table tennis halls etc do we have at district level? If we encourage private sports academies and grant them proper recognisation after checking area and infrastructure, do grant them aid annually and special reward on producing national, Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic champions. These academies should be catagorised for the encouragement of individual games at district or Teshil or block level. If private sector is encouraged it will reach at Mohalla level too. That is not possible for Govt. sector to do, that is already proven from the prolonged period of time after independence. There are some private sports academies functioning in the country but due lack of recognisation from the Govt or any aid they are too costly for the poor and also fail to reach at Teshil or Mohalla level.
(ii) Secondly we should select and give such personalities due honour those at their own work hard and honestly with dedication to produce players of international level. Gopi Chand in badminton, Satpal in wrestling there are so many other examples but majority of such personalities stepped back due to political interference and red tapism. Even a govt. clerk or class IV have better hold on sports bodies and act like parasite to breed corruption, last Common Wealth Games held in India is the naked proof of such common habit of politicians or their pets at lower level.
These two steps would boost the standard of sport and games at every corner of our country and develop cultural of competition between sports bodies. The present competitions at zone or district level are suffering from non-seriousness, filthy selection process made up by interference of relatives of officials, politicians,bearucrates etc.
Wazir R.S.Aithmia
Old Satwari, Jammu Cantt