Rowing: New entry

Ranchi, May 30: The state sports department has put forward a proposal to the national secretary of the Sports Authority of India, B.K. Sinha, to conduct selection trials in the games that are not played widely in the state.

The department asked the secretary during his two-day visit to the city to conduct such trials as it would provide a platform to the local talent to showcase their performance in games such as cycling and rowing.

Sources said Sinha had reportedly assured the sports department officials and put forth the proposal to senior SAI officials in New Delhi.

The officials said although there were talented sportsmen in games like cycling, they could not come to the forefront due to the lack of trials.

The selection for such games are conducted in places such as New Delhi or Patiala, and players from other states cannot always make it to such faraway places, officials added.

Deputy secretary of sports department S.P. Verma said: ?We conduct selection trials for hockey and football here. So players for such sports are selected from many places. But there are no selection trials for games such as cycling or rowing. If we conduct trials for them here, it would provide a platform to the talented players in the state.?

Sports department officials added that a cycling velodrome is scheduled to come up in the mega sports complex in Hotwar for National Games 2007. But before it is made, players have to be sent to the National Games in Assam for proper training.

The government not only plans to send players to SAI, New Delhi, for training but also wants to conduct selection trials, said another official.

SAI administrator Sushil Kumar Verma said if the proposal is accepted it would help the players perform well in such sports. ?We are planning to provide technical assistance to such players and then refer them to other cities for further training,? he said.