CHANDIGARH, JULY 8:Punjab Sports Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike will attend a conference of State Ministers of Youth Affairs and Sports in New Delhi tomorrow. The Minister will be accompanied by Secretary Sports RPS Pawar, IAS, and Sports Director Olympian Pargat Singh.The Central Government has convened the conference to assess infrastructure requirement at the grassroot level in all states and Union Territories.
Gulzar Singh Ranike will draw the attention of Dr. M.S. Gill, Minister of Sports and Youth Affairs on sports infrastructure scheme, role of Sports Authority of India vis-a-vis Punjab, giving services of SAI coaches, Sports Training Centres of SAI, opening of centre of excellence, women’s sports programme and steps for better coordination between SAI and the State Government.
The Punjab Sports Minister will be seeking funds to the tune of Rs one crore for Indoor Stadium in Moga. The Centre discontinued grant on the 50-50 basis in 2005 for creating sports infrastructure. The Centre starting giving lump sump grant to the state for development projects.
As the scheme of 50-50 basis was discontinued some grants to Punjab are still pending with the Centre. The Moga Indoor Stadium has cost 156 lakh the centre released only Rs 45 lakh. It requires wooden flooring.
The Punjab Sports Minister will request the Dr Gill that Government of India should help the state government by providing more sports facilities to scientifically groom the talented players.
Gulzar Singh Ranike will also take up the issue of placing the services of the SAI coaches at the disposal of the state government. Before 2005, the SAI had deputed its 90 coaches in Punjab. However, SAI transferred 70 coaches from Punjab to other state.
Justifying his demand to depute 100 SAI coaches in Punjab, Ranike is of the opinion that the state Sports Department has increased the number of sports wing seats to 3000 in schools and colleges in 2008-9.
The Punjab Sports Minister will urge the Government of India to open an extension centre for boxing at Government Ranbir College of Sangrur. The SAI is running centre of excellence in athletics, cycling, hockey, judo and gymnastics at NIS Patiala; SAI Training Centre at Badal (girls) in athletics, basketball, hockey, shooting and volleyball; SAI Training Centre at Mastuana Sahib (Dist Sangrur) in athletics, boxing and volleyball and SAI Training Centre in Ludhiana in athletics, basketball, weightlifting, judo and volleyball.
The border districts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur and Taran Tarn lack sports facilities. With the gram panchayats willing to provide required land, the State Sports Minister will request the Centre to establish State Training Centres. The state government proposes to open these centres at Bhitttewid (Amtirsar Dist), Dhariwal (Gurdaspur Dis) and Taran Taran. The Punjab Government will also request the Centre to establish a state-of-art Centre of Excellence in Jalandhar with all modern facilities for outdoor as well as indoor sports disciplines for training and competitions..
The Punjab Sports Minister will also urge the Centre to increase funds for women sports festival for block level to Rs 25,000 from Rs 1000 per block, for district level to Rs one lakh from Rs 3000 per block and for state level to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 10,000 per state. The diet money should be raised to Rs 100 per day per player for National Sports Festival for Women.
For proper implementation of various schemes, Gulzar Singh will suggest that services of SAI coaches should be made available to the State Government which should post them as per requirment of the state. The SAI should also take into confidence the state government while opening up of STC, Centre of Excellence, Extenstion Centre of STC/SAG and adopting akharas etc.