Jammu, Jan 17 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Saturday stressed that sports must be insulated from politics to ensure fair opportunities for talented youth.
Inaugurating the two-day ‘National Level Sports Conference – SRIJAN’ here, he asserted that it will identify the actionable strategies to further strengthen sports systems in the Union Territory.
The conference, organised by Department of Youth Services and Sports, was attended by senior government officials, representatives of Sports Authority of India, eminent sports personalities, experts and a large number of youth.
“Sporting talent can only be nurtured in a peaceful environment. In order to make India a true sporting powerhouse, we must keep sports and politics strictly separate,” he said, addressing the gathering.
“We must move forward and create a system where there is no room for doubt on the selection process,” he said.
Recently, the J&K government initiated an inquiry into the “biased” selection of the UT football squad for Santosh Trophy, as only one player from Jammu was selected.
The selection process triggered a huge row with many political parties alleging discrimination against the Jammu players.
At the event, the L-G also reiterated the administration’s resolve to extend requisite support to the sportspersons and develop state-of-the-art sports infrastructure at the grassroots level.
“The conference will identify the actionable strategies to further strengthen sports systems in J&K, prepare a roadmap for effective implementation of the National Sports Policy 2025 and J&K Sports Policy 2022 and highlight measures for shaping a resilient and future-ready generation,” Sinha said.
He also called for linking sports with education and essential life skills and emphasised giving encouragement to the participation of women and youth in sports.
Sinha also urged sports councils, federations, administrators and officials to chalk out a strategic development plan specifically designed to elevate performance in international competitions. PTI TAS TAS AMJ AMJ
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