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In search of excellence
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Sports Authority of India and the Army come together to tap and promote young talent
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IN THE RING Sparring at the boxing gym
The concept of the Boys Sports Companies was developed with a view to spot talent early, coach the gifted youngsters and provide them with the necessary facilities to achieve the highest standards. Catch them young became the philosophy. The Army and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) realised the promise held out by such a scheme and quickly decided to collaborate in this quest for sporting excellence.
Under the above arrangement, SAI would fund the programme entirely, providing further back-up through the expertise of its experienced National Institute of Sports (NIS) trained coaches. The army was to provide the infrastructure, administration and education for the students in the scheme.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum is monitored by the Director General of Military Training while the Army provides boarding and accommodation to the trainees. The joint venture has been functioning smoothly as exemplified by the Boys Sports Company attached to the Artillery Centre, Golconda.
Set up in 1962, the centre's sports infrastructure is located in the precincts of the historic Golconda Fort and spread over an area of 10 square kms. Moulding the young minds into confident, well disciplined, self reliant, physically and mentally tough and highly motivated sportsmen has been the guiding principle of the project.
Eligibility criteria
The selection process begins when the boys are between 11 and 14 years of age from the sixth standard onwards. The eligibility criteria include physical skill, agility, medical fitness, physical growth and the motor qualities tests conducted in accordance with SAI norms. The background of the boy, his intelligence quotient (IQ) and motivation levels are also taken into consideration.
Those performing well at sports in sub-junior and junior levels are groomed for military recruitment, and some of them have gone on to become officers in the Indian Army.
Coaches periodically assess the skills of their wards as does the Sports Medicine Centre (SMC) their medical and physical improvements. Great care is taken in providing wholesome nutrition to the young sportsmen, charted in a 3500-calorie diet.
Over the years the younger lot have taken centre stage, with the Golconda centre being designated an Army Node for Athletics.
The Boys Sports Company (BSC), Artillery Centre has three streams viz; athletics, boxing and basketball. Some of its students have graduated to the international arena, such as Hemant Kumar Sahu, who clinched the sub-junior gold in the Asian Cadet class boxing championships at Hanoi, Vietnam last October.
Son of a plumber from Jharkhand, Sahu's intensive training held him in good stead on the international stage. A training stint at Tashkent, Uzbekistan paved the way to a gold in the YMCA international boxing championships at New Delhi in February last year.
Sunil Kumar Shukla, also of the Golconda gunners unit, struck gold at the same event. Others to excel at the national level are Sitaramiah of Guntur, the 14-year old claiming gold in the sub junior National long jump and bronze in the 100 m sprint. Pradeep Kumar won gold in the National cross-country championships at Shimla last year.
At the state athletics championships last year, BSC students won 16 gold, five silver and eight bronze medals. Long distance and cross-country running have also found favour with these lads, who often take part in the Hyderabad 10 K foundation and Golden Mile races.
Keenly following the fortunes of their wards are Brigadier Rohit Kalia, Commandant of the Centre and Lt. Col. Nasser Hussain Dubey, Officer Commanding, BSC, the latter overseeing all aspects of each child's development.
A. JOSEPH ANTONY
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