Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: You are upbeat about the future of sports in Orissa in the wake of the just-concluded and well-organised event like the Asian Athletic Championship2017 in Bhubaneswar. The inherent capacity of sports to build valuable social connections and particularly, the physical and emotional well-being of youth, is undeniable. It is time, we focus all major sports programmes for the development in order to maximise the potential of younger generations. Such was the feeling of experts who shared their viewpoints during a discussion on “Sports for Development – Education and Skills” as part of the annual event,
IDEATE-2017, organised by Bansidhar and Ila Panda Foundation in collaboration with FICCI Orissa state council here Wednesday.
Ila Panda Foundation CEO Shaifalika Panda said sports is a powerful social tool that plays a key role in human development, life skills, inclusion, crime reduction, gender equality, empowerment and leadership. The event was meant to awaken people on the ‘‘value of sports in nurturing a healthy body and mind during a child’s upbringing to create a more resilient society’’. The panelists include Rajya Sabha MP and former cricketer Ranjib Biswal, Sports and Youth Affairs department commissioner
cum-secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, Anantapur (AP) rural development trust programme director Moncho Ferrer and Nagpur Slum Soccer-Krida Vikas Sanstha CEO Abhijit Barse.
The panel highlighted the invaluable role of sports in the growth and development of a child. They emphasised the need of infrastructure
building and inclusion of sports in academic curriculum. “Sports not only bolsters the physical stamina of an individual, it also transforms the life of the sportspersons and their family,” said Ranjib Biswal. Citing the example of IPL, he said the league had helped GDP growth in Orissa where the matches were played
and bestowed the players with a better life. Like IPL, there were other leagues which helped strengthened the sport as well as the quality of the players’ life. The schools must keep track of the students’ interest in sports from childhood and supplement his pursuits with nourishment, he said. The educational system must encourage students to take up sports vigorously. Instead of focusing on particular events like cricket, the focus should be on developing every aspect of sport, he added. Vishal Kumar Dev recollected the successful culmination of the Asian Athletic Championship and suggested that Orissa should host such global events to build its infrastructure accordingly. “The mindset of people has to change. With improved infrastructure we can motivate the parents to insist upon their wards to take up sports as career,’’ Vishal pointed out, and lauded the government effort to raise the number of sports periods to six in primary schools. This will motivate pupils to take up sports seriously,he averred.
There is a move to develop sport infrastructure in tribal areas for which it was proposed to bring 3.5 lakh tribal children under the programme. Abhijeet Barse whose Slum Soccer has been working to utilise football in order to transform the lives of street dwellers, said, “Every year through tourneys and camps, we touch the lives of nearly 5000 participants.’’ Football dissuades the homeless and slum dwellers from getting addicted to organised crime, violence and drugs. The fall in their harmful activities and improvement in the participants’ lives inspire Slum Soccer to expand its programmes to 13 states across the country. Present on the occasion was Valena Valentina, international Karate player from Orissa, who shared her views. She said many players in the state suffer from lethargy. “Players don’t get adequate scope due to the involvement of sports mafia and they all must get the opportunity they deserve,’’ pointed out Valena.