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Focus on sports in schools

Gaurav Vivek Bhatnagar

Delhi Govt. expected to announce new policy by May-end

NEW DELHI: The Delhi Government is expected to come out with a sports policy by this month end that would focus on promoting sports in about 18 different disciplines in schools. The idea behind the policy is to encourage the participation of children in sports to increase the country's medal prospects in various international sporting events. The policy was finalised at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and attended among others by Delhi Sports Minister Arvinder Singh Lovely on Wednesday. As per it all the sports disciplines that exist in the Commonwealth Games would be promoted in the schools. According to sources, the school children will be divided into the primary, secondary and higher secondary levels and it participation in various disciplines would be encouraged.

"The children who would do exceptionally well will also be trained by foreign coaches or arrangements would be made to get the best possible coaching for them,'' said a source.

A key aspect of the policy is that it seeks to make the optimum use of the available spaces in Delhi. "Schools and colleges with large playgrounds would be requested to allow children from other schools, that do not possess such fields, to utilise their premises over the weekends. This would go a long way in promoting sports among children who study in schools that do not have big playgrounds.''

The Delhi Government is also contemplating improving the incentives for sportspersons. "We intend increasing the cash prize for gold medal winners from Rs 1 lakh at present to Rs 5 lakh as it would be a major incentive for people to take to sports as a profession.'' Also, sporting facilities within the Capital city would been boosted for promoting participation. "While work on the Schools of Sports at Ghevra has been initiated and its building would be coming up soon, the Indira Gandhi Sports complex in North Delhi would be utilised to the optimum capacity for sporting events as it already has a building that is lying largely unused.''

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