No medal, certificate if less than 8 players participate

Shivani Bhakoo

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, October 9

The national-level campaign Fit India may be gaining momentum all over the country with celebrities encouraging the masses to remain healthy and fit, but as far as the state government is concerned, it seems least bothered if students have performed extraordinary in sports.

Komalpreet Kaur and Rajdeep Kaur, students of Government Senior Secondary School, Mangli Neechi, Chandigarh Road, performed excellently in the district-level boxing championship and secured top positions but have not been given either a certificate or medal for their achievement. The reason being that the state government has recently decided that if in a game, in which individuals are participating, more than eight students do not get participate, then neither a medal nor a certificate will be provided to the winners.

Talking to Ludhiana Tribune, their coach Bhupinder Singh, who provides free coaching at their school, said: “How can we promote games if there is no appreciation? Though, as compensation, I provided them Rs 100 each to motivate them, but it served no purpose. They said they could not frame the money. There was not enough participation in their category but that is no reason that we should not provide winners with certificate or medals. Students will feel reluctant to participate in any such game in the future.”

Komalpreet Kaur, student of Class XII, said: “We were there to fight but if there are few participants from other schools, how is that our fault? We have won and we should be given a medal and certificate. It would have been a memory to cherish throughout our life.”

Pradeep Kaur, coach at DAV School, Pakhowal Road, said as per the new changes, if any individual game witnessed less than eight participants, no medals and certificates would be given. Similarly, if in games such as football, hockey, basketball and other team sports, if less than 10 teams participated, no medal or certificates would be provided to the winners.

Sportspersons and their coaches feel that this would discourage them to participate in games.