Spectators missing in girls’ U-14 hockey final

Rachna Khaira

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 27

The final hockey match of the U-14 girls’ category of the District School Games was played between Doaba Khalsa Senior Secondary School and Government Senior Secondary School, Sarih, without any spectator at Darshan Singh KP Stadium here today.

The District Education Department, which gathers hundreds of students every time for various government functions, including Republic Day and the Independence Day, failed to gather students as spectators during the ongoing district-level school games.

The match today started without any senior official of the District Education Department.

However, Gurinder Singh Sangha, newly appointed umpires’ manager by the Federation of International Hockey (FIH), was the match convener.

The match started without much pomp and show with the players found clapping for themselves when the authorities formally announced their teams. Even the schools, the team of which played the final match, too did not bring their students to witness the action of the match.

Doaba Khalsa Senior Secondary School beat Government Senior Secondary School, Sarih, 3-0 in the final.

Funds scarcity keeps spectators away

While the district administration doles out money to ferry students during any political or government event, it did not plan the same to bring students to watch the district-level school games to arouse the interest for sports in them.

As the Punjab Education Board (PSEB) has not allocated any dedicated funds to conduct school-level tournaments, the schools take out money from the amalgamated fund to bear the cost of transportation and refreshments for the players during the match. They also have to pay the match fee and referee fee from the same amount.

The situation, however, is critical for primary and middle schools due to the ongoing Sarv Shiksha Abhiyana. The students studying from Class I to VIII do not pay any fee. So, these schools have to rely on some senior secondary school in their area to bear their sports expenses. While some schools agree to pay the expenses, many also refuse, preventing many youngsters to showcase their talent at an early stage.

Sangha, however, said there was an urgent need for the state government to allocate a dedicated sports grant to schools to organise school-level tournaments.

At present, of the 1000 middle and primary schools, only eight schools have well maintained hockey playgrounds.

Sports funds not adequate for schools

In the absence of any help from the state government, the children in the state bear the expenses on their own from money collected in the amalgamated fund to play.

While students studying in Class IX and X are paying Rs 120 annually, Students of Class XI and XII are paying Rs 144.

Of the fund collected from each student, 80 per cent of the money goes to the DEO’s office and the rest 20 per cent remains with the schools to bear expenses of their players.

Of the DEO’s share, 55 per cent was further sent to the PSEB office to further hold sports tournaments in the state. Surprisingly, the students were not even allowed to utilise the whole amount given by them.

Shortage of coaches, playgrounds kill young talent

A shortage of coaches and playgrounds are killing the young talent at a rapid speed. At present, of the total 203 posts of the Director Physical Education (DPE), 40 are lying vacant in the district. Around 50 per cent of the 265 posts of PTI too are lying vacant in many schools.

Online entry for state level begins

The online entry for various state-level competitions for U-19 has opened today. The games in various events will be held from October 9 to 13 in the state. Jalandhar will host the state swimming championship at Sports School.