Mahender Singh appointed Joint Director, Sports

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 21

The UT Administration has appointed Dr Mahender Singh Joint Director, Sports (JDS), in the Sports Department for a one-year term, extendable up to three years on the basis of performance. He has held the same post in 2017.

He is likely to assume charge in the next few days.

The new JDS faces the challenge of disbursing cash awards among meritorious sportspersons. The department is likely to disburse Rs 5 crore in cash awards, while many sportspersons still await confirmation of their names on the list of awardees. Conducting the All-India Administrator’s Football Challenge Cup — the annual event of the department usually conducted in September, will be another big task for Dr Mahender Singh.

Three candidates of the shortlisted four appeared for the interview held last week. A five-member panel, comprising the Secretary, Sports; the Special Secretary, Department of Personnel; the Director, Higher Education; and the Director, Sports, and the Adviser to the Administrator (chairman), conducted the interview.

The former JDS, Dr Sunil Rayat, has joined his parent cadre of Himachal Pradesh. He was the first JDS of the city to be appointed from HP. In February, Rayat had sought repatriation to his parent cadre. He was appointed to the post in 2021. On his submission, the Sports Department had sent a circular to the nearby states, including Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, asking the interested candidates to apply for the post. In April, the administration received applications from only two candidates.