Sports facilities need a very serious relook

The athletics turf at Sports Authority of India, Kandivli. Pic/Satej Shinde

This paper's extensive, front page report on the shoddy state of facilities at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Kandivli complex goes to the (grass)root of the problem. One cannot have sports champions weaned on this kind of abysmal infrastructure.

This edit space has repeatedly highlighted school meets where infra has been pathetic. From a paucity of toilets, running water, changing rooms for girls and poor medical amenities, school meets are a reflection of our rot that goes deep below ground level.

We have pointed out so many times through our reports that an ambulance has been unavailable or even that the medical box did not have basic equipment.

This though is step two. Step 1 is the most basic of all, our public parks and gardens. Though these have equipment at times, these are not maintained or are derelict. Repairs may take forever. Protruding rods and pieces pose a danger to climbing, clambering kids.

These are when the park is left as an open space. In many places, the park itself, let alone equipment seems to have disappeared. It has either turned into some kind of parking lot or been usurped by a builder and children who could have gone on to become champions are left with no space to even take their first steps at any sport.

This is the real meaning of grassroots. Going beyond the physical, even Physical Education (PE) teachers in many schools are really bottom of the ladder and PE classes which is the base for any kind of sporting talent, initiation or even talent spotting are not given too much importance in certain institutions.

This goes even lower than grassroots, and when your first steps itself are difficult and faltering how can you expect to traverse a road to sporting glory? This is a country that is aspiring to host an Olympics in 2036. We seriously need to rethink on that count.