Sports Council coaches accused of lackadaisical approach

ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Jan 20: In spite of the services of nine coaches and five instructors available to the J&K State Sports Council, no sports activity under its aegis has taken place for quite sometime now. “Sports activities have virtually come to a standstill in Kashmir,” said a senior official of the Council who wished not to be named. “It is an irony that not a single camp is being held in any discipline right now.” The Council has two hockey coaches, one posted at Bakshi stadium and the other at Budgam but no event was held in the previous year has indicating the level of seriousness of their assignment. Two judo coaches, one at Islamabad and the other at Bakshi Stadium, have failed to revive the sport which is fast losing its foothold in the valley. The Athletics coach posted at Pulwama is on earned leave presently. “The fact that not a single athlete of either the state or national level has been produced during the last six years speaks of the performance of the athletic coaches,” sources in the department said. “The lack of coaching has forced many athletes to abandon the sport.”In Kho-Kho, there is one coach posted at Bakshi Stadium but the activities are organised by the department of Youth Services and Sports. “Not a single coaching camp was organised by the Council in last two years,” the sources said. In weightlifting, the Council has one coach posted at Bakhshi Stadium but the activities have been taken over by the Weightlifting Association. In the most cherished sport of the valley, football, the activities seem as if hijacked by the Jammu and Kashmir Football Association and other private clubs. “Despite a football coach available, the Council is fatigued by lack of commitment,” sources said.In Wu-Shu, there is one instructor and despite the immense martial-art talent available in the valley, Wu-Shu players have not been able to come to the expectations. Similarly in Thang-Ta, the Council has one instructor. Despite the Thang-Ta Association winning medals at the national level, the Council has failed to make a mark in the sport.In the lesser known sport, Ball Badminton, the instructor has struggled to find a role for himself. “The coach is engaged with the activities of the association rather than training the players,” sources said.Likewise, swimming and skiing instructors of the Council have failed to initiate their activities.“The coaches and the instructors are drawing their salaries for doing nothing,” said a senior official of the department pleading anonymity. “Though we have fewer coaches available in comparison to Jammu, they are not doing their job. The Council has failed to produce a single sportsman so far.”He said the Council had organised a coaching carnival way back in 2000. “Thousands of players took part in the carnival,” he said. “All of hoped that Kashmir would prove itself a sanctuary of sports persons.”He said within no time, the coaching camps became a thing of past and the stadia wore a ghostly look once again. “The coaches seem pleased by their lackadaisical approach,” he said.One of the former athletes, Rouf Ahmad, said the coaches were busy in organising activities of their own associations. “They make good money by indulging in activities of their associations,” he said.He said if some one could come all the way from Brazil to organise activities in the winter why could our coaches sit back and relax: “Winter has been a big excuse here, but the Brazilian coach has proved them wrong,” he said while referring to the football tournament being organised Marcos. He said the coaches in Jammu have toiled hard to lift the standard of sports there. “If they can organise activities uninterruptedly, why cannot our coaches organise even a single coaching camp in a year,” he said. “They have confined their activities to accompanying teams for national events just for the heck of it.”NIS football coach, Sajid Dar, blamed the Sport Council administration for the mess. “The administration has failed to assign them regular assignments,” he said. “The coaches wouldn’t sit lazy if they get assignments on regular basis.”

published in greater kashmir on Janaury 21-2009 linl : http://www.greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=21_1_2009&ItemID=6&cat=4