Jharkhand Olympic Association has urged all district administrations to allow sportsmen and women to access stadiums to facilitate regular training and practice.
On Thursday, JOA wrote to deputy commissioners of all 24 districts, requesting them to direct respective sports officers to act in this regard and cited ‘unlock’ orders issued by the state government in December last year following the nationwide lockdown in the wake of Covid-19.
JOA secretary Madhukant Pathak, who issued the letter, underscored the need for proper access to facilities, citing the “immense pool of sporting talent” in Jharkhand. He said many sportspersons failed to perform due to the lack of facilities and resources.
He said despite formal orders from the state government to allow players to use stadiums sans spectators, things had not improved on the ground.
“We recently met with chief secretary Sukhdev Singh with our plea. He later issued orders to the sports department, but the latter isn’t enforcing it. Hence, citing the state government’s order of December 17, 2020, we thought of writing to all DCs from our end,” Pathak said.
Notably, it was on June 25, 2020, that the state government had first allowed opening of all stadiums for sporting activities to be held without spectators. It also prescribed a host of dos and don’ts.
Since then, several sporting activities in India and the world have gradually resumed. In Jharkhand, the Jharkhand State Cricket Association (JSCA) organised a T20 league during September-October last year.
In February 2021, Jharkhand Athletics Association is scheduled to hold an international walk race championship in Ranchi, which is an Olympic qualification event.
Pathak said, “The whole of 2020 went in vain due to the Covid-19 pandemic. For any player, every day is important to keep in shape if he/she aspires to qualify for national and international events. The other problem in our state is that many players hail from poor backgrounds and face financial strain to even meet proper dietary requirements. It’s high time players get access to stadiums for practice and training,” he said.
