Sports Council to check activities of unauthorised bodies

Asks Parents To Contact Office Before Sending Children Outside
ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Jan 1: The J&K State Sports Council has advised the parents of the players to contact it before sending them to participate in various national championships through various associations. “Parents should contact our office before sending their children’s for any national event,” sports officer of the Council, M S Baba, said. “We’ll guide them properly and save them from cheaters.” He said that many parents have approached our office previously when their children faced difficulties. “They only realise the mistake when it is too late,” he said. “We’ve a list of registered Associations and Unions and it is the responsibility of the parents to check whether their children have been sent outside by a genuine body.” Recently some parents had approached the Council in a case wherein some boys had been sent outside the state to participate in a yoga event only to discover that an unregistered sports body had organised the tour. He said that many unauthorised sports associations mislead the children on the pretext of participation in national events. “They often tell the innocent and gullible that they would be awarded with certificates which would help them in future,” he said. “It is a worrisome issue and parents ought to be careful.” He said there were instances when money had been extracted from the players. “They can go to any extent,” he warned. Cautioning the unregistered and bogus associations, the sports officer said that strict action against them would be initiated. “We’ll take serious action if a so-called sports association is found misleading the players,” he said. He said that such associations should, before hand, inform the players and their parents about the nature of their association. Many Associations have welcomed the step. “It is good to see the Sports Council taking the initiative to counter bogus Associations and other so-called sports-related bodies,” said the general secretary of Dalgate Sports Centre, Sajid Yousuf. “We have been doing our bit to caution players but they will listen to the Council in a better way.” J&K Sports Development Association general secretary; Riyaz Ahmad, described the step as a ‘great beginning.’ “We have always wanted a move like this from the Sports Council,” he said. “With over 100 sports associations operating in the valley, only 80 are registered with the Sports Council,” he said. “While only 50 have been recognised so far, this leaves many of them without their credentials been verified.” He said many bodies were functioning without any monitoring by the Council and leaves a great room for them to misguide the players.

(published in Greater Kashmir on January-02-09 and the link ; http://greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=2_1_2009&ItemID=2&cat=4 )