The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Democratic set-up way out for sports body

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Aug 11, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Democratic set-up way out for sports body

V.V. Subrahmanyam

HYDERABAD: Where is School Games Federation of Andhra Pradesh (SGFAP) headed? This is the question being posed by not just medal-winning school athletes but also by sports lovers who believe that schools are the first major step in spotting talent across the State.

Despite the federation having an annual budget of Rs. 1.53 crores, a handful of medallists in the School Games Nationals have complained that they have not even been paid TA & DA for participating in competitions in other cities. The SFGAP secretary, duly elected by the district bodies has the authority to release money, but the secretary is now nominated by the School Education Department. Interestingly, the 10,000 physical education teachers all over the State are in no way involved in the process of selecting budding talent.

Memorandum

Andhra Pradesh Physical Education Teachers Association (APPETA) president B. Yadaiah points out that a memorandum has already been submitted to Minister for Education N. Rajyalakshmi to ensure that the federation secretary is elected in a democratic way so that the districts could have a say in the set-up.

The APPETA had suggested things could improve if only the physical education teachers and directors were made eligible to contest in elections for the SGFAP. The association is of the view that bureaucratic interference in sports at school-level is least wanted when the Government is spending huge amounts on sports infrastructure. "What is intriguing is why is it that the Government is not implementing the rule of holding elections to SGFAP on the lines of the national body and making the PETs accountable?" Yadaiah asks.

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