Lt. Governor Kiran Bedi has proposed a synergy between the Sports Authority of India and the local sports authorities to both democratise access to better infrastructure and prevent dropouts among talented children.
Following an inspection of the sports hostel and discussions with children, coaches and the administrators, Ms. Bedi said that she proposed to explore with the Union Sports Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, the prospect of more collaboration in this regard and optimal utilisation of available infrastructure.
Making a case for local authorities working more closely with SAI in a coordinated fashion to improve the prospects for children who were taking up various sports, the Lt. Governor pointed out that there was an option of (local sports administrators) collaborating with SAI which had a unit functioning inside the stadium. At the same time, both bodies had separate students, hostels and coaches.
"Right now, there are two parallel systems going on in the same stadium when they could easily work together for the benefit of our children," she said.
Ms. Bedi said she had observed from her interactions that children were not using the gymnasium even when it was available.
According to her, running on the beach sand to build stamina and fitness was also missing in the schedule of budding sportsmen.
She also suggested better food substitutes for the children. “The administrators must also assess the financial capacity of family to examine if they can support their children at least for their pocket moneys to encourage shared responsibility,” the Lt. Governor said.
She asked coaches to work in close coordination with potential sponsors such a traders association or other NGOs to support them in mobilising small items of clothing or toiletries that could benefit child aspirants.
It was also important that the selection of aspirants for a hostel admission is based on a team assessment not on financial needs but his or her potential and aptitude, she added.
