Bihar Players’ Association members on Sunday said the absence of a sports calendar for 2012 has affected nurturing of talents at the block- and district-level.
“Seven months have passed, but the government is yet to prepare a sports calendar for this year. As a result, organising sports events at the district- and block-level has gone for a toss. No major sports event has been held this year,” association president Mritunjay Tiwari said at a news meet at Youth Hostel in Patna.
Former football player and Arjuna awardee C. Prasad was also present at the news meet.
When The Telegraph contacted Anjani Kumar Singh, the principal secretary of the art, culture and youth affairs department, he said: “The sports calendar is being prepared. It will be released in a week.” The principal secretary said the sports calendar was supposed to be ready in May but the state sports authority, which had been assigned the task to prepare the calendar, delayed the process.
The art, culture and youth affairs department prepares the sports calendar every year, according to which sports events are organised in districts and blocks. The sports calendar covers programmes like Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan and Mahila Khel Mahotsav.
Tiwari said: “The Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan is one such event where sportspersons from rural areas get a platform to showcase their talents. If such events are not organised regularly, sportspersons from rural areas are hampered in exhibiting their skills.”
The Bihar Players’ Association president said that government negligence towards sports could be gauged from the fact that the Patliputra Sports Complex was slowly turning into a showpiece.
The sports complex, which was built last year and hosted the 1st Women’s World Cup Kabaddi Tournament and All India Federation Cup Wrestling tournament this year, was to be handed over to sportspersons for practise. But now, the complex is covered in dirt.
Prasad said: “The state government purchased sports equipment in crores so that sportspersons could practice. But they are not allowed to enter the sports complex and the equipment are gathering dust.”
