Chandigarh, December 23
For their parents and institutions spending money may not be problem, but for them exposure in sports is always a big desire. Studying in Indian schools located in the Gulf region, which are affiliated to the CBSE, they feel that specialised coaches need to be provided to them. Far away from their homes, the paddlers are here all the way from the Gulf to flex muscles in the CBSE National Table Tennis meet, which concluded yesterday at Sector 23 TT hall.
With excitement writ large on their faces, they displayed their talent while playing in the meet. Schools affiliated to the CBSE in the Gulf region and Saudi Arabia have separate cluster division in sports and they take part in the CBSE National Sports meet wherever held in India.
The players in under-14, under-16 and under-19 age groups, both boys and girls, had converged on Chandigarh, thanks to their respective schools which have borne their entire expenditure. Mohammad Ghouse from Jubail, Saudi Arabia, says it was really great on the part of their school management, led by Chairman, Syed Imtiaz Ahmed and principal Mazhar Yaqub, for bearing whole expenditure for sending them to India for the sports meet.
Their physical education teacher, Ms Ishrath Saini, said the team was from International Indian School, Jubail, which had taken part in under-14 girls, boys and under-16 boys section.
Ghouse Mohiuddin, who have come from Jeddah as Manager says, by taking part in Indian sports meet, their players get enough exposure.
The sports head of the FAIPS DPS School, Kuwait, Sayeed Ur Rahman, said their school gave preference to tennis, swimming and football, apart from other regular sports. He said their school remained winner in under-14 girls’ section in the Gulf region and by bringing the children here, they attain a lot of match temperament which they might not get playing in Kuwait only.
Adil Akhtar Khan a sports teacher from Ideal Indian School, Doha (Qatar), said they had brought children in under-16 boys and they had done well in the tournament.
The sports teacher of the Indian School, Muscat, R.S. Pathyarch, who have brought boys and girls in the under-14 section said, they had accorded priority to a few sports disciplines such as, basketball, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, athletics, swimming.
Ms Ragini Vaishnav, sports adviser to the Indian schools in Oman, says they have come all the way from Nagpur where children had taken part in the CBSE National badminton meet. Ragini, who is with Department of Pharmacology in Sultan Qaboos University, Muscat, said the tournament was nicely organised by the management of DAV Public School, Sector 8, with good food, effective transport system and better accommodation.
The TT teams from Indian High School, Dubai, and DPS, Sharjah, had also taken part in the meet.
