In major setback for the state’s youth aspiring to take up athletics and hockey, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has decided to close down training facilities for both the sports at its centre here.
The training facility for athletics is being closed down despite the fact that SAI and Himachal government had invested around Rs 10 crores on a synthetic track here.
The synthetic track was laid down during the stint of the previous BJP government in the state, with financial support from the ACC and Ambuja Cement companies. The construction work around the stadium is still on. This track was considered ideal for high-altitude training for athletes, and many athletes are using the facility for training. Walkers who represented India in the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games trained here. The Indian Army athletes are currently training here.
Since the SAI is closing down the training centre for athletics, sources here say that the maintenance of the expensive synthetic track would suffer. The track requires washing every fortnight, else it gets damaged. Presently the track is being maintained by the 20 girls getting training under the SAI here.
At present, 20 youth from Himachal are training for athletics and 13 for hockey at this facility. These youth are getting daily diet worth Rs 200, medical expenditure, insurance cover and free education in the local college and schools under grants being provided by the SAI. They are also given an allowance of Rs 3000 as fare to participate in national events across the country. As per the orders received by the SAI centre here, all these facilities would be withdrawn after April this year. There are two coaches, for athletics and hockey, here, and they are likely to be transferred out after April.
The withdrawal of athletes and hockey would leave only kabaddi and volleyball as the sports here. Presently the centre has no coach for volleyball and just one coach for kabaddi.
Himachal Pradesh has two SAI training facilities, the other being in Bilaspur. The training for boys in athletics was provided in Bilaspur while for the girls it was provided in Dharamsala. The athletics training at Bilaspur was ended a few years ago by the SAI. This means that there would be no facility for the youth of Himachal to train for athletics in the state.
When contacted, the authorities at the SAI centre here refused to comment on the matter.
However, sources here said that the girls who were getting training in athletics and hockey here have met Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, former CM Prem Kumar Dhumal, and Anurag Thakur, the BJP MP from Hamirpur, and requested them to take up the case with the Union Sports Ministry.