Indigenous Sports
Only a few games, such as cricket and tennis get the best of government and private money and most of the media attention. In comparison, Indian sports such as kabadi, kho kho, hockey and football are not promoted.
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Give a comparative picture of the government and private funds available to some of these sports.
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Have there been some popular ideas and opinions on how sports indigenous to our country can be promoted?
Requested By- A senior LS BJP MP from Gujarat
Due date: March 20, 2008
Response
Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA)- A new proposal (Mar 2008)
There is a severe inadequacy of basic sports infrastructure at the grassroots level, especially in rural areas. Similarly, there is also a lack of sports competitions in the rural areas. The access to sports and games facilities in schools and colleges is very discouraging with hardly 30 million out of the 210 million students having such access. Overall, hardly 50 million out of the 770 million youth, adolescents and children have access to organized sports.
PYKKA aims at providing basic sports infrastructure at the panchayat level over a period of 10 years through concerted efforts of all stakeholders, particularly the Sate Governments, panchayats, educational institutes, sports promotion bodies and youth clubs. All the 2,50,000 village and block panchayats and equivalent units will be covered during this period. Apart from contributing to public health, social inclusiveness, the promotion of indigenous games, and the expansion of the talent pool through the identification and nurturing of rural sports talent, PYKKA is also expected to stimulate the economic activities within the sports sector, as it would lead to an exponential growth in the demand for sports instructors, coaches, sports equipment and consumables and sports events and related support services.
Under the Scheme, each village Panchayat and each Block Panchayat would be given one time seed capital grant of Rs. 1 lakh and Rs 5 lakh, respectively. The state share in this will be 25% for normal states and 10% for special category states. In addition, while village panchayats would be given annual acquisition grant and annual operational grant at Rs.10,000 and Rs.12,000 per annum, respectively, block panchayats would be given Rs.20,000 and 24,000, respectively. Each block panchayat would also be provided annual competition grant of Rs.50,000 for holding block level competitions and each district will be provided annual competition grant of Rs. 3 lakh for holding district level competitions. Further, prize money would also be provided to the winners (first three positions) in block level and district level competitions. The Planning Commission has allocated Rs. 1500 crore for the 11th Plan Period. The total requirement of funds for the entire programme over the 11th and 12th Plan Periods has been estimated at approximately Rs. 5000 crore (www.pib.nic.in on 10th Mar 2008)
Draft Comprehensive National Sports Policy 2007
Introduction
Activities relating to Sports and Physical Education are essential components of human resource development, helping to promote good health, comradeship and a spirit of friendly competition, which, in turn, has positive impact on the overall development of personality of the youth. Excellence in sports enhances the sense of achievement, national pride and patriotism. Sports also provide beneficial recreation, improve productivity and foster social harmony and discipline.
A Resolution on the National Sports Policy was laid in both Houses of Parliament in August, 1984. The National Sports Policy, 1984 was formulated with the objective of raising the standard of Sports in the country. The National Education Policy, 1986 also incorporated the objectives of the Policy in so far as the Education Sector was concerned. The National Sports Policy, 1984 provided inter-alia, that the progress made in its implementation would be reviewed every five years to determine the further course of action, as may be necessary, following such review.
Over the years, it has transpired that even as the National Sports Policy, 1984 encompasses various facets in respect of encouraging sports in the country, the implementation of the same is not complete and leaves much to be desired. The goals and objectives laid down in the Policy are yet to be substantially realized. A need has, therefore, been felt to reformulate the National Sports Policy in more concrete terms, spelling out the specific measures required to be taken by the various agencies, which are involved, in various ways, in promoting sports in the country. [1]
National Sports Policy of 2001
The National Sports Policy 2001 seeks "broadbasing" of sports and "achieving excellence at the national and international levels" by integrating sports and physical education more effectively and efficiently with the education curriculum.
"The integration of sports and physical education with the educational curriculum, making it a compulsory subject of learning up to the secondary school level, and incorporating the same in the evaluation system of the student, will be actively pursued", notes the National Sports Policy.
It says an appropriate inter-school and inter-college/university competition structure would be introduced at the national, state and district levels to unearth and foster sports talent.
The need to frame a new National Sports Policy in more concrete terms, spelling out the specific measures required to be adopted by the various agencies which are involved in promoting sports in the country, was felt as the implementation of the earlier sports policies, framed in 1984 and 1986, were tardy and the "goals and objectives laid down in the policy are yet to be substantially realised".
The National Sports Policy 2001, which has been approved by the Union Cabinet, puts the Central Government, in conjunction with the State Governments, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and the National Sports Federations to "concertedly pursue the twin objectives of broadbasing sports, and achieving excellence in sports".
While the broad-basing of sports will, primarily, remain a responsibility of the State Governments, the Union Government will actively implement their efforts in this direction and for tapping the latent talent, including in the rural and tribal areas.
The Union Government and the Sports Authority of India (SAI), in association with the IOA and national sports federations, will focus specific attention on the objective of achieving excellence. Effort will also be made to promote and encourage women’s participation in sports.
The Union and State Governments, as well as the National SportsFederations/Associ-
ations will endeavour to promote "Club Culture" for the speedier development of sports in the country. High priority will also be accorded to the development of sports in the rural areas to harness the available talent and potential.
The question of inclusion of sports in the Concurrent List of the Constitution, and introduction of appropriate legislation for guiding all matters involving national and inter-state jurisdiction, "will be pursued".
The Sports Policy has also put great thrust for infrastructure development, for which steps would be taken to evolve low cost functional and environment-friendly designs so that maximum benefits could be derived through relatively low levels of investment, besides making optimum use of the existing infrastructure.
The Sports Policy has also recognised the autonomous status of the IOA and the Sports Federations, and has laid emphasis on the need by the Government and other agencies concerned to "work together harmoniously and in a coordinated manner to fulfil the objectives of the National Sports Policy". It would also be incumbent on the sports federations to hold national championships in all the age categories, from sub-junior to senior level, both in men’s and women’s sections at the district, state and national levels.
Long-term development plans (LTDPs) will be prepared for each sports discipline, and release of Government assistance would be considered on the basis of performance relating to the LTDP in question. Sports science has also been given pride of place in the policy to ensure systematic and scientific grooming of the players from a very young age.
All effort would be made to get the latest sports equipment for training and competition, by importing raw material and equipment, and by encouraging indigenous sports goods industry. The policy has also laid provisions for recognising the achievements of sports persons and their coaches, judges and refereed by providing them with proper incentives, in cash and kind, and also avenues for employment. [2]
Controversy about draft of National Sports Policy (Sep 2007)
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and its affiliated National sports federations on Saturday rejected outright the draft National Sports Policy saying it had several flaws that would force India out of international sporting arenas. Drumming up unanimous support from all the affiliated federations in its fight against the Union Sports Ministry and the draft policy, IOA President Suresh Kalmadi said that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) had shown its concern.
IOC letter expected
“We are expecting a letter from the IOC in support of our stand against the draft National Sports Policy, which is aimed at undermining the Olympic Charter,” said Mr. Kalmadi.
“If the policy, which is also aimed at putting in place a sports regulatory authority, is forced on the National sports federations then there is every chance that India might be banned from participating in multi-sport events such as Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games,” he added.
Ever since the draft policy was put on the web to seek opinions from all quarters, the IOA has managed to get letters of support from the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) and the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Voice vote passed
The IOA meeting, attended by representatives of 44 federations, passed by a voice vote the proposal put forth by Mr. Kalmadi to oppose the draft 2007 National Sports Policy and its recommendations. “We want to continue with the 2001 National Sports Policy as it was prepared with our consultation,” the IOA President said.
The sports bodies were also unanimous in their opposition to the proposal to put sports in the Concurrent List. “In the days of de-centralisation, the Sports Ministry is trying to control sports and dry up the funds the State Governments have been allocating,” said K.P. Singh Deo, Chairman of the IOA Sports Commission.
Utopian thesis
He described the draft policy as a ‘well-drafted thesis, which is very ambitious, utopian and totally experimental’. Through the proposed sports policy, the Sports Ministry is daydreaming and creating an authority without responsibility, said Mr. Singh Deo.
The draft policy talks about keeping athletes at the centre-stage of all the plans, but the entire policy was silent about how it would go about doing it, he said.
Citing some of the recent instances of the hurdles created by the Sports Ministry, the Secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), M.C. Chowhan, said several sports federations had been penalised by not releasing the sanctioned grants for foreign tours by asking them to submit utilisation certificates for the international tours that were held 15-17 years ago.
Mr. Chowhan said the Sports Ministry was trying to squeeze every sports federation of the funds before they sign on the dotted lines in support of the draft policy. He said he had a letter from the ministry saying it had misplaced the old files and now wanted the federation to submit the utilisation certificates again.
Source
http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/news/pykkapress.htm
http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/tenders/Draft.pdf
http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/tenders/Explanatory.pdf
http://yas.nic.in/yasroot/tenders/Drafthindi.pdf
http://sportal.nic.in/nsp.asp
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2001/20011103/spr-trib.htm#2
http://www.hinduonnet.com/2007/09/02/stories/2007090257791800.htm
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