Bill soon to improve Indian hockey, other sports: Maken

Arun Sharma

Pointing out that Indian hockey was suffering because of the existence of two rival sports federations, the Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken today said the UPA government was introducing a Sports Bill in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament so as to improve sports in the country.
“To train Indian hockey players, we are prepared to pay even for coaches engaged from abroad,’’ Maken said, adding the government has allowed 28 foreign coaches to prepare the Indian hockey team for the Olympics. He ruled out any step-motherly treatment to hockey in India, saying the national game was suffering because of its two rival federations.

Saying the existence of two rival hockey federations had put hockey players in a dilemma, he said: “After taking over as Sports Minister, I took the initiative of bringing both organisations together’’. The government will initiate action if they don’t fall in line, he said, adding while one federation has agreed, the other has sought some time. He said the matter is also in the Supreme Court.

About the promotion of sports in Jammu Kashmir, he said the Centre will spend Rs 28.60 crore on infrastructure development in the first phase. This includes three football stadiums with synthetic turfs at different places in the state.

To be built at the cost of Rs 5 crore each, one such turf will be laid at GGM Science College and the second in the football academy being run by a Brazilian coach in Valley. The third synthetic turf will be laid at a place decided by Jammu Kashmir Sports Council, he said, adding floodlighting and other facilities will follow thereafter.

Similarly, while synthetic turf for hockey is already there in Jammu, another synthetic turf is being laid in Baramulla, he added.

Apart from this, the Centre will also fund four training centres each for archery in Jammu, Valley and Ladakh regions, Maken said, adding that multipurpose halls for sports activities have also been sanctioned by it. For the purpose, it will provide Rs 2 lakh to each gram panchayat and Rs 5 lakh to block panchayat, he said, adding the Centre will complete the first phase of its plan in the state in five years instead of ten years as has been fixed for the rest of the country.