Players pay the price for mismanagement

Women players who came from Kapurthala,Patiala and other cities were seen carrying their heavy luggage in hand and walking from the stadium to reach Ramgarhia School,which is about 2-3 km away,for changing into their sports suits. In Ludhiana,out of the 4,600 visiting players,only 2,600 are assured of lodging. The rest will need to move to other cities.

Anoop Kaur,a discus thrower from Bathinda,was also seen standing near Gate 5 of the stadium to enquire about the place for changing into her kit and get some refreshment.

The players,nonetheless,were upbeat to see this gala event,which has been organised for the first time and also has handsome cas awards.

However,the players reminded the government of the need for more coaches. “No new coach has been appointed by the state after 1992,so what is the point of organising gala events,when the state cannot produce good players who can participate in the national events,” said Arjun Singh,wrestler from Aayo Kothi village. He added,“I am in this game for the last 15 years. I have brought many laurels to the state as well as the nation. But I have not got a government job as of now. The state is spending crores on stadiums,but no coaches have been appointed. There needs to be a balance for sports to flourish in the state.”

Richu from Kapurthala,who was roaming around for want of a place to sit,said,“I am waiting for directions from the sports department. Our teams are also on the roadside itself.”

It needs to be mentioned that nearly 140 coaches are on government rolls in the state and another 150 are hired on ad hoc basis. The players demanded more appointment and urged the sports minister to give the deserving players jobs,apart from organising such mega events.