Who will be sports minister?

ABID KHAN
Srinagar, Jan 15: The sports fraternity of the valley has urged the new chief minister, Omar Abdullah, to handover the sports ministry portfolio to a minister who would lift the standard of the sports in the state.The new government led by Omar Abdullah is likely to expand the cabinet soon and the question as who would be given the Sports minister portfolio remains to be seen. During the coalition government, the post was handed over to four different ministers who according to the experts of the field were ‘square pegs in round holes.’ “They made promises only but did nothing,” said a Sports Council official who wished not to be named.The sports fraternity is looking at him with high hopes. They hope that the new CM being a sports lover himself would promote sports in a big way and will appoint someone with a good know-how of the discipline as sports minister: “We expect the CM will keep sports among his priorities,” said n official of J&K Football Association, Fayaz Ahmad. “Sports have been neglected during the last six years. Those who held the portfolio knew nothing about sports.”He said that the new sports minister should have enough knowledge about the sports. “We hope the new minister would be dynamic and will make Sports Council and other sports bodies accountable,” he said. The Sports Development Association hopes that sports arena of the state will touch new heights during the next six years. “The new minister will have six full years to look after the sports,” said secretary Sports Development Association, Riyaz Ahmad. “During this period, he can develop the sports infrastructure and bring new policies.”The Dalgate Sports Fraternity secretary, Sajid Dar, said that the new minister should be envisioned enough to take pragmatic steps for the improvement of the sports in the state.
published on janury 16-2009 link :http://greaterkashmir.com/full_story.asp?Date=16_1_2009&ItemID=5&cat=4