Infra upgrade, cash rewards: 17-point policy for parasports on cards for Chandigarh

Looking to have equal rights and opportunities to sportspersons, the UT Sports Department is set to release a 17-point policy for specially-abled sportspersons.

Notably, the city’s first sports policy had been launched in 2023. The mandate of the new plan now is to expand the corpus for equipment procurement, training support, participation in competitions, rehabilitation and medical care to sportspersons with disabilities.

The draft of the policy has been prepared and focuses on cash awards, better infrastructure and to create a data bank of existing specially-abled sportspersons from the UT.

The policy focuses on 17 key areas, framing the new policy for the winners of state/national/international achievers. It aims to provide widest reach of sporting infrastructure at the grassroots level and to evolve a long-lasting liberal mechanism of identification through sustained programmes at schools and colleges. Besides, the departments is looking to provide seamless and timely government financial assistance to all promising athletes.

In line of the international charter governing parasports, the policy also aims to encourage specially-abled people to take up sports as a career. The drive will be conducted in consultation with the Department of Education through a dedicated identification programme. Looking to “catch them young”, the departments plan to host competitions in schools and colleges round the year.

A dedicated sports calendar for organising competitions and understand the special needs of the sportspersons is also on the cards.

Meanwhile, all existing sports facilities will be audited to earmark dedicated time-slots for specially-abled sportspersons. The facilities will be re-evaluated and upgraded or modified to cater to specific needs.

While the department has already hired three coaches focusing on 10 disciplines, the policy also directs immediate hiring of more coaches and trainers. A periodic training and exposure mechanism, aimed to ensure regular enhancement of their expertise, will also be put in place. The performance of a coach will also be rewarded to encourage and incentivise them through recognition under this policy.

The optimum and rightful utilisation of the corpus along with a timely revision for increase in funds for specially-abled sports and audit of funds utilised will be undertaken periodically under the policy.