J&K State Sports Council (JKSSC) is all set to give recognition to ‘non-existing’ sports associations in J&k and has started process of recognizing sports associations by asking concerned associations to complete the official formalities required.
JKSSC Chief Sports Officer has issued letter to the 13 sports associations who mostly have been ‘non-existing. at ground level and with no activity at all.
The order reads that standing committee of Sports Council discussed recognition of these associations in May this year and then were put in general council in front of Chief Minister who in turn deferred it. The deferment was based on the non existence of activity from associations at ground level and Secretary Sports Council Waheed ur Rehman Parra was given authority to review the working of these associations and make comprehensive report.
However, the very base of these associations whom no sports persons or commoner in J&K knows come into question as they are basically non existing with no activity at all. The logic behind putting them in front of top committees of council for recognition puts question mark on the intent.
The 13 sports association are J&K Tug of War, Throw Ball Association of J&K, J&K Rowing, J&K Bridge, J&K Malakhambh, J&K Sepek Takraw, J&K Shootingball, J&K Motorsport, J&K Amateur Soft Tennis, Rollball , Equestrian, J&K kickboxing and Pencak Silat Association.
While Kickboxing is familiar name in J&K and may be doing activity in State as almost all the other are non-existing at ground level with no activity at all. Rowing is Olympic discipline but without boats in state it is also non existing.
“This is basically a mafia running in sports council and almost all these associations are owned by the people working in Council. They can do anything and can go to any extent for meeting their personal agendas. Recognition of an association mean free Govt grants and recognition of national certificates which in turn has turned into huge business in State. They without doing any activity take people for national events in lieu of huge money,” said a known sports administrator who said he will write to Chief Minister about whole issue.
Another sportsperson said that he is hopeful that secretary will never give nod to such a thing which will prove detrimental for the overall sports scenario of State.
“If they would have been doing activities and then even if they would have been non-recognizable at national level I would still go with them. But they have done all these years nothing and most of these games doesn’t exist as people hardly know what they are. Once these people will do activities then we can think about granting recognition. If recognition granted it will injustice for the players who burn their sweat in the Olympic discipline were winning national medal is always a dream,” he said.
A senior footballer while commenting said, “After coming to know about this I am shocked. I have almost never heard most of these names. Sports Council has always been a mafia run by the persons who work there. The persons who work in sports council own five to six associations each and they can do anything for their personal benefits”.
