Relief for sportspersons preparing for contests

Deepankar Sharda

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 3

In a major relief to local sportspersons preparing for various national/international competitions, Punjab Governor and UT Administrator VP Singh Badnore has allowed to open sports complexes in a phased manner during the ongoing partial lockdown.

The complexes will be open after taking a special permission from the UT Secretary Sports. However, the approval and allotment of timings will be subject to the need of the players.

The decision came a day after Chandigarh Tribune highlighted the issue faced by local sportspersons. The UT Sports Department had announced to close all local sports complexes due to a surge in Covid-19 cases, following the directions of the State Disaster Management Authority.

“The complexes will not be open for everyone. Those sportspersons, preparing for Olympics or any other international or national events, have to submit a request. We will assess their request and on the basis of the nature of tournaments, they (sportspersons) will be given permission to use specific complexes under specific timings,” said KK Yadav, Secretary Sports (UT).

He said: “We have a number of sports complexes in Chandigarh to adjust a specific number of players. For instance, if 10 swimmers or shuttlers or paddlers request us to allow them training for any of their upcoming events, we will allot them different centres to practice. But their request should be genuine and correct. I want to make it clear that the facility will be only open for needy sportspersons...not for all, not for amateur players and not for leisure activities”.

On April 30, the UT Sports Department had announced to close all local sports complexes. It came as a shocker for hundreds of sportspersons, who were practising on a regular basis for the past few months to prepare for the upcoming championships.

“It (allowing limited sportspersons) is a welcome step by the Administrator. The city has an ample number of complexes to accommodate players, who wish to continue their practice ahead of championships. Even players of the nearby areas can avail of the facility. However, the process to take permission should be made easy,” said Payal, a player.

“Coaches of such disciplines should also be informed before allowing permission to players. They should be present during the practise hours to guide players. Due to the restrictions in the evening, the complexes should be open for longer durations during the morning hours,” said Prabhdeep, another player.