Keep politicians away from sports: Opposition MPs in Lok Sabha

Vibha Sharma

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New Delhi, December 8

Amritsar MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Thursday urged the Centre to ensure timely elections in different sports federations while participating in a discussion in the Lok Sabha on the need to promote sports in India and steps taken by the government.

Aujla said politicians and retired officials were holding main posts in most sports federations, a point that was also made by some other opposition MPs while urging the government to “keep politicians away from sports”.

Aujla alleged that politicians and retired officials hold these posts only to enjoy business-class air travel and five-star hotel stay.

“Elections should be held within a timeframe,” he said, suggesting mandatory sports education and job security for paralympic medal winners.

Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said besides compulsory physical training, sports should be made compulsory for taking up board examinations. It should be made mandatory for schools to have sports grounds and physical trainers should get respect like other teachers in a school, he added.

He also asked the government to build small stadiums and not big ones as their utilisation is less. “The government must do an audit of large stadiums,” Karti said, urging the government to not bid for Olympics Games as of now as “it would bankrupt the country. “For your ego do not bid for Olympics”, he said.

Several Opposition MPs cited the example of Qatar, asking the government to encourage sports personnel and come up with world-class sports infrastructure in the country. YSR Congress MP B Margani said politics in sports was harmful and that India lacked world-class sports infrastructure due to which it gets fewer medals in the Olympics.

“We have improved a lot but we need to take revolutionary steps to improve sports in India,” DMK’s Kanimozhi said, demanded sports be made mandatory in schools and encouragement for Dalit and women players. BJP MPs, meanwhile, praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s direct involvement and encouragement for sports and sportsmen.