Chandigarh to appoint District Sports Officer soon

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 2

In the first week of 2022, the UT Sports Department will be up on an important task of appointing a new District Sports Officer (DSO). The former DSO, judo coach Krishan Lal, retired on December 31, 2021.

He was appointed to the post on an additional charge and the new DSO is also likely to get the charge on ‘additional basis’, thanks to the policy of the department.

Sources claimed that the next DSO will be appointed on a seniority basis. However, nothing has been finalised so far. Notably, after the retirement of Ravinder Singh Laddi on November 30, 2020, the department appointed Lal as the DSO.

“Let’s see, who is appointed to the post. There have been no clear instructions from the authorities. Going by the trend, the seniormost coach should be appointed to the post,” said a senior official.

The UT Sports Department follows Rule 8 (i) of the Punjab State Sports Rules, 1993, which allows only those having experience of seven years as coach/senior coach to get promoted as the DSO. The sources also claimed that no coach in the department fulfils these criteria amid no-promotion policy.

“No senior coach has the experience of seven years of regular service in Chandigarh. In this case, the most experienced coach may get the additional charge of the DSO,” said a coach.

“Since, the department has appointed a full-time Joint Director, Sports, the problem of appointing a regular DSO should also be solved. The department is already lagging behind on several projects. Appointment of a regular DSO is also important for the betterment of local sports ahead,” said a coach.