The Hindu : Sport : New Government to unveil scheme

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Monday, May 22, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sports : General

New Government to unveil scheme

Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Government will soon unveil a comprehensive scheme christened "Operation Olympia" for the overall development of sports and games in the State.

Disclosing this at a meet-the-press programme at the Press Club here on Sunday, the new Sports and Youth Affairs Minister, M. Vijayakumar said the scheme would have both short-term and long-term goals. "The ultimate aim of the scheme would, however, be to help sportspersons from the State win laurels at the 2016 Olympic Games," he said.

The Government, he said, would also soon bring amendments to the Kerala Sports Act, which would pave the way for the restoration of democratic elections to the various sports bodies. He alleged that the previous UDF Government had torpedoed the spirit of the Act, enacted in 2000, by trying to convert the Kerala State Sports Authority into a mere bureaucratic department.

"In my view, this would do no good for the development of sports and games in the State. The KSSA should be a vibrant body if we are to achieve further progress in this field. Today, utter chaos reigns in the functioning of the KSSA. We have to set it right immediately and to achieve that suitable amendments to the Kerala Sports Act have to be brought as soon as possible," Mr. Vijayakumar said.

Swimming pool

The Minister said the construction of the international swimming pool project in Pirappancode, in the outskirts of the city, would be completed in a time-bound manner.

Mr. Vijayakumar also said that he would push for the inclusion of physical education as part of the school syllabi. The Government, he said, was also considering the appointment of a noted sportsperson as the new president of the KSSA. The Sports Policy, to be released soon, would also lay emphasis on taking up new infrastructure projects with the assistance of the Central Government.

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