GULBARGA: Vice-Chancellor of the Tamil Nadu Physical Education and Sports University R. Thirumalaisamy on Friday called for changing the nomenclature of the National Sports Policy to National Physical Education and Sports Policy and said national and State-level implementation committees with sports experts and senior sports personalities must be constituted for effective implementation of policies.

Delivering the keynote address on the penultimate day of the three-day national conference on the "Integrated approach towards physical education and research in the development of the physical education and sports," organised by the Gulbarga University and the Karnataka State Universities and College Physical Education Teachers' Association in the main campus of the Gulbarga University, Dr. Thirumalaisamy said excluding physical education from the national policy on sports was meaningless and would not achieve the intended development of sports.

Dr. Thirumalaiswamy said that the Government should initiate policy changes at the national and State level and bring physical education and sports under the concurrent list for effective implementation of policies.

He said the Government should take steps to involve the public sector, the private sector and non-governmental organisations in promoting sports and physical education.

He said physical education should be compulsorily introduced at all levels of education.

He said the Government should declare certain universities in the country as centres of excellence in different sports.

Sportspersons should also be provided a minimum of 10 per cent reservation for pursuing higher education and in employment avenues. If examinations were conducted at the time of some tournaments and sports events, universities and colleges should hold separate examinations for those participating in these sports events.

Dr. Thirumalaiswamy said the main reason for the country not making a mark in the international levels in the sports was owing to the absence of a "sports culture".

Concerted effort

Everyone, including teachers, parents, academicians and officials, should work together to bring about this culture in the country.

Physical Education was now seen as a science and an inter-disciplinary field, including exercise physiology, sports biomechanics, sports psychology, sports physiotherapy, sports medicine, kinesiology, sports management and sports nutrition, he added.

The Government should take steps to enact suitable laws to protect open spaces, parks, play grounds and gardens for the development of sports activities in the country, he added.

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