The Hindu : Sport : DYSS gets its timing wrong

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Friday, Jan 18, 2008
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DYSS gets its timing wrong

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: The Department of Youth Services and Sports’ (DYSS) grandiose plans to revive the State Games sadly may not be as grand as it is touted to be. February is not the ideal month to go through an event of this magnitude for varied reasons.

The examinations are just a month or two away and obviously the student community amongst sportspersons would not be ready to sacrifice two to three weeks of their time for yet another ‘event’ which at most is a ‘mela.’

And the seniors, with a long winding season behind them, would not be in full gear for the off-season programme.

If the DYSS and the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) were in sync, then this State Games could well have been conducted in the month of September or October itself as the Government grant for the games was done well in time after the budgetary allocations in April last.

Major setback

Another major setback could be the non-affiliation of districts with the KOA.

Barring seven — Bagalkot, Davangere, Chitradurga, Shimoga, Uttar Kannada, Dharwad and Tumkur — none of the other districts are affiliated to the KOA and for obvious reasons would not be able to participate.

When even the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has given the call for ‘taluk’ and ‘panchayat’ to develop infrastructure and spread sports awareness, the KOA’s stance in de-affiliating districts seems strange, which came about on January 26, 2007.

Districts being inactive is one thing and the individual (s) who has been the thorn could well be sidelined, but not the district itself and this has been the bone of contention for many associations.

Another main issue for the organising committee of the State Games could well be the criteria to qualify for the games.

In games like football, volleyball and even swimming, there will be very few outside Bangalore making the grade and if the Games is for Bangalore teams then why should Mandya and Mysore play host?

Mysore has been conducting a State-level meet in the form of Dasara Games every year and besides the huge amount spent by the Government, has not served any purpose. Neither has the sportspersons benefited nor has it attracted any spectator interests.

How different is this edition of the Games going to be?

If the DYSS is serious about the conduct of the Games then surely a lot of plan and effort could have gone into making it a truly memorable one.

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