Sports & The State

SPAT- a good first step

SPAT finds talent at the grass-root level, and nurtures it at various nurseries (of different sporting disciplines). “SPAT is being conducted in 3 stages, and under it almost  5,000 players  would be given scholarships. Players falling in the age group of 8 to 14 years, and 15 to 19 years would be given Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,000 per month respectively as scholarship. The first stage comprises the competitions held at the government, semi-government and private schools. The second stage competitions would be organised at the block level, and the third stage competitions would be held at the district level. Successful players from the third stage would be awarded with scholarships, and an admission in the nursery of the particular discipline. Selected players get scholarship for the upkeep of their diet and other necessities at home. For Gurgaon district, the first stage  was organised in all schools in Haryana from December 20, 2012 to January 5, 2013; the second was organised from 28 January to 6th February at all four blocks of the district; and the third and the last phase would be organised on 15 February at district headquarters in Gurgaon,” added
Kulwinder Singh.

Haryana is the highest cash prize-paying state in the country, and till now more than 50 crores rupees—plus other benefits such as free travel and government jobs—have been given to the players who have performed well at various nation and international levels. “Indeed sports has changed the lives of many like me in the last few years; and I believe this is the main reason why now more young and talented players are coming up. Now sports has become a success mantra for the youth of the State. We all know that the youth in Haryana doesn’t study much, and hence most of them don’t get jobs at higher levels. But now sports has come up as an option by which they can attain higher posts, and the State government has rewarded successful and talented players with good posts in the police, excise, transport or other government departments,” said Akhil Kumar, the quarter finalist at the Beijing Olympics, who is serving Haryana Police as a DSP.  The Centre too has started a sports scheme, the National Physical Fitness Programme (NPFP), on the pattern of the SPAT programme of Haryana. Under NPFP, the sports persons who have represented the country at the Olympics, Commonwealth Games or Asian Games would be appointed as coaches, with posts of Group B officers. Initially 200 such coaches would be appointed by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). Haryana has already provided government jobs to 424 players. 

Where does Gurgaon stand?

Gurgaon, though part of Haryana, is today quite distinct from the rest of the State. “True, Gurgaon has ‘gone out’ of Haryana – Gurgaon City in particular. Many only play for fun, and that too in costly academies and golf clubs. As far as the district's performance is concerned, I am quite relieved to say that we are still considered to be the best district – and almost all our teams in various disciplines, finish first or second in the State tournaments. Hockey, Volleyball and Gymnastics are our best bets. In Boxing, though we don’t have any coach in the Gurgaon stadium, a few private academies have again given us some advantage,” added Singh. Raj Kumar Sangwan, an Arjun Awardee boxer, who runs an academy here, believes that Gurgaon has great potential, and the local kids are doing extremely well at the national level. “I have so many budding boxers from Gurgaon, and some of them are doing far better than even boxers who are taking training in Bhiwani,”
said Sangwan. 

“We are building Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complexes in all the 4 blocks of Gurgaon district – in fact in the 3 blocks of Gurgaon, Farukhnagar and Pataudi the work on the stadia is near completion. In Gurgaon block’s Daultabad village, where the stadium has been built, we have already started a centre for two games – cricket
and boxing. 

Right to Play

When the whole country is talking about the proper implementation of the Right To Education (RTE), Haryana has also introduced the Right To Play (RTP) where each child will have the right to play his or her desired game at school, and the school would be obligated to provide the facilities and the training for the concerned game. The vision for RTP is to ensure that, by 2020, every citizen in the State—regardless of age, gender, caste, religion, physical ability and socio-economic status—has an opportunity to play Sports. “I believe RTP would be of great help, because once it’s implemented, it would get interlinked with SPAT, followed by nurturing in different nurseries and later the big stadiums. And as far as studies is concerned, only a healthy child can study well; and it has been proven that a good physical condition adds to
cerebral excellence.

Sports & Women

Women in Haryana have mainly remained behind the patriarchal walls of households, and we hear about their plight every now and then. There are hundreds of sports women now practising different games in different stadia of the State. “Indeed sports helps women come out and prove their worth in the male-dominated society, and I don’t see any reason why a woman sports person can’t achieve name and fame like her male counterparts. Krishna Poonia, Saina Nehwal and Geeta Phoughat are just a handful who have made their name in their respective field of sports,” added Singh. “No doubt it’s tough, but girls have done it before and I don’t find any reason why girls can’t do it now. Today the society is much more advanced and modern, and this modernity has allowed girls to express their rights and desires. For example Geeta Phoghat, the wrestler, comes from a very ordinary background, but still managed to pull herself out of the household. Other players like wrestler Geetika Jakhar, and many other hockey players, are from Haryana, and they too have made their mark. And, the State government’s initiatives
like the Panchayat Yuva Krida Aur Khel Abhiyan (PYKKA) and SPAT are
certainly very helpful in bringing women out,” said Roshni Devi, the Hockey Coach at Nehru Stadium. Pooja Thakran, a young and promising hockey player from Jharsa, says, “I have been playing here for the last 6-7 years, and till now I have never been pressured by my parents to get married. I am completely focused on my game, and it’s my ability to play good hockey that has saved me from a restricted life. Sports certainly provides a woman with liberty, which is indeed a tough thing for a woman to ask for in Haryana,” said Thakran. 

"In SPAT we mainly conduct 7 tests, which include: a vertical jump, to test flexibility and the strength of the thighs; a 30 metre squat-run to test the agility; a ball throw to test the arm strength; a long jump; a standing broad jump; and an 800 metre run – in a given period of time."

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