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| Change of guard at Civil Secretariat makes no change in apathy towards State's sportsmen | | Meager cash awards for medal winners with held for years | | Abodh Sharma
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 10: The long pursued policy of apathy and neglect towards the sportsmen of the state has continued unabated and change of government has made no difference to the misfortune of the men and women who have toiled hard through the years to salvage pride for the state in national and international sporting arenas.
Close to four months since the last edition of prestigious National Games of India concluded at Kerela, fourteen sportspersons who won medals for the state, defeating not only their opponents but heavy odds within the system, have not been given their paltry due. More shamefully, even the medal winners of the previous edition of the National Games held at Ranchi couple of years back are yet to be given embarrassingly trivial amount as cash award due to them.
As per the policy, Jammu and Kashmir government gave a cash award of Rs. 25 thousand, 15 thousands and 10 thousands to the gold, silver and bronze medal winners respectively in the National Games. Recently, after a representation was made to Rajbhawan during the Governor's rule by the Standing Committee of the J&K State Sports Council, seeking a generous increase in the cash awards to bring them at par with the others states, which awarded Rs 5 lakhs, Rs 3 lakhs and Rs 2 lakhs respectively for the winners of gold, silver and bronze medals respectively, the Governor doubled the existing amount to 51 thousand, 31 thousand and 21 thousand.
Though many resented that the hike affected was inadequate, it is pity that the authorities of the J&K State Sports Council and the Ministry of Sports have not cared to organize an award ceremony to give the sportsmen their hard earned due even as four months have passed since the Games concluded at Tiruvanatpuram, Kerala. "We are told that even the medal winners of the previous National Games have not been awarded till today, what can we expect?" questioned a parent of one of the medal winners. "There is a feeling that since 13 of the 14 medal winners are from Jammu and just one from Kashmir, neither the Minister, nor the Council authorities are interested to deliver them their due" he added. An official of the Sports Council, not wishing to be named when contacted said, "All arrangements were made to hold the award ceremony, but due to series of political developments recently, the same could not be held".
It is pertinent to mention here that the sportsmen of the state have been subtly demanding better incentives in terms of cash awards and employment opportunities in lieu of the years of hard work they invest to bring laurels for the state, but hastily compiled Sports Policy has pathetically failed to meet their aspirations. |
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