Students participate in the handball summer camp at the JRD Tata Sports Complex. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, May 15: With an aim to spot talented players so that they can be nurtured into good players and popularise the game in schools, a fortnight-long handball summer camp for school children started at the Tata Handball Training Centre at JRD Tata Sports Complex here today.

Around 150 students from nearly 42 schools affiliated to the Jamshedpur Old Girls’ and Guys’ Association (Jogga) are taking part in the camp which concludes on May 30.

The camp has been divided into two groups — below-16 and above-16 — so that the training modules are conducted smoothly. The initiative, which has been made for the first time by the Tata Steel sports department, is aimed at developing the skills of aspiring handballers.

Sports department officials said little is being done for players of the game here. “Handball has lot of scope here. We were trying to chalk out a plan that can be helpful for handballers. The camp will go a long way to spot emerging talent,” said Tata Steel Handball Training Centre chief coach Firoz Khan.

Khan, who donned Indian colours in the Asian Handball Championship at Bahrain in 1993, said Poonam Roy, Prakash Rao, Uma Rao and Robert Bosen will be overseeing the proceedings along with him.

A friendly match between the trainees of the handball centre, for both the men’s and women’s section was also played during the inaugural ceremony.

“There will be a session in which senior cagers will play friendly matches with the them. This way, the aspirants will come to know a lot about different techniques during a match,” said a senior official of the sports department.

Although each school was requested to send at least 10 students, the camp witnessed the participation of only 150 students.

Officials added that in a way, the game has wider scope in terms of jobs and other such things but in spite of that good players are not coming forward.

Many international handballers have also secured jobs in other states apart from winning laurels for their countries. There is a need to increase the awareness level among the people, officials added.

B.B. Tirkey, officer in charge of Bistupur police station, was the chief guest on the occasion while Tata Steel sports department chief Satish Pillai and other senior officials were also present during the function.