Karnataka - Madikeri   

SAI sports promotion scheme withdrawn from school

Proud: Parents of K. Vaishak Ramesh, a student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, display prizes their son won at athletic events in different competitions in the past four years.

Madikeri: The withdrawal of Sports Authority of India (SAI) scheme for promotion of sports at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya (JNV) at Galibeedu near here recently has disheartened students and their parents alike.

The SAI, Regional Centre, Bangalore, had adopted the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya here in the year 2005 for promotion of athletics. As a result, many students having benefited from the scheme, excelled in various athletic events in different competitions. The Deputy Director (Schemes), K. Ramachandran, SAI, Bangalore, on October 10, 2009, communicated to the Principal of the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya here that the sports promotion scheme had been withdrawn for the year 2009-10. The decision to this effect, Mr. Ramachandran said, had been taken at the 37th annual general meeting of the SAI Centre in New Delhi.

It is said that the decision to withdraw the scheme from Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Galibeedu, as the school was found to be a “non-performing” institution under the SAI tie-up.

However the decision has not gone down well with the parents. They are unhappy that the scheme has been withdrawn. As many as 24 boys and girls were being trained in athletics at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya under SAI coach Kurien P. Mathew.

Under the scheme, students undergoing training were given a scholarship of Rs. 300 a month, besides a free tracksuit and a pair of shoes every year. Mr. Kurien P. Mathew was appointed as the coach by the SAI for the purpose. “We will seek all help to keep the SAI scheme going at the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya”, K.R. Ramesh, parent of K. Vaishak Ramesh, told The Hindu. According to him, over 20 students had excelled in athletics at national-level competitions.

Many parents, who have signed a memorandum to be submitted to the member of Parliament from Mysore, A.H. Vishwanath, feel that the withdrawal of the scheme would be detrimental to the development of sporting talent in the district which has produced several sportspersons all these years. The scheme, according to them, should be continued to produce athletes out of students who are interested in pursing it seriously.

The Principal of the JNV, P.M. Isaac, told The Hindu on Tuesday that he would like to have the scheme continued. His views were endorsed by the vice-principal, T. Ramalingam. However, they were quick to add that JNV was not exclusively a sports school. Priority would be to achieve excellence in academics, Mr. Isaac added.

Many students had achieved laurels at the inter-JNV sports competitions at the State and national levels, but no student won a medals at the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) competitions, which is the last level of competitions. Probably, this was the reason for the SAI to withdraw the sports promotion scheme from the Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya at Galibeedu.

However, G. Kishore, Director, SAI, Bangalore, who spoke to The Hindu over telephone, said he would require a day or two to give details about the matter in question.

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