Do Khelo India youth games medals “go in drain” for Chandigarh sportspersons?

Do Khelo India youth games medals “go in drain” for Chandigarh sportspersons?

Despite crores of rupees spent by the government of India on Khelo India youth games every year, it seems the ‘youth’ is missing from the gradation policy of Chandigarh Sports Department, making the hard work and efforts put in by the budding sports aspirant go waste.

Without the gradation policy many in the sports field say the purpose of youth games is lost. Weeklong Khelo India sports events that were held in Panchkula, Haryana concluded on June 13.

The Government of India started Khelo India in 2018 to promote youth games but the Chandigarh administration has not included the youth category in their sports policy so far. There are only two categories mentioned either junior or senior in the policy but the youth category goes missing.

We can elucidate it. For example, any player representing Chandigarh state in youth games can’t get any benefit just for the reason that the gradation policy doesn’t mention “youth” and the sports department can’t issue any gradation certificate to player, which means there is no clarity about the fact that the youth has played at what level and what is his or her playing and performance levels.

Senior officials and coaches of the sports dept have commented that the policy needs to be redrafted as youth of Chandigarh are deprived of benefits, which sports aspirants of the neighbouring states such as Punjab get.

The gradation certificate from the sports department is a necessity for the achiever to get admission into the professional colleges and other government institutions.

There is no doubt about the fact that budding sports aspirants who have picked up a sport, work hard in the gymnasium; and go to the playground to get trained for the sport he or she has chosen.

There is a demand coming from parents of the budding sports boys and girls that they are working hard to get the medals for the state at local, national and international level, the Chandigarh administration should take their dedication and hard work into consideration and amend their present policy as soon as possible. This will give a much needed boost to the youth of Chandigarh to strive better and higher.

Hardeep Singh a retired naval officer who represented the services team in various national and international boxing competitions and have won medals also suggested that the gradation policy is a must. In Punjab there is a system of gradation but Chandigarh doesn’t have, he said, adding, which is a loss to the budding sportspersons from the city. “In grading one who plays a game at a different level of category, on the basis of performance grading is offered,” he informed.

An officer in the sports department of Union territory Chandigarh revealed that the gradation policy was necessary to help sportspersons in their career progression. He adds that efforts were being made to have such a policy.

June 13,2022