CHANDIGARH, MARCH 10: As if to compliment India's heartening performance in the Commonwealth and Asian Games last year, the Governemnt of India came up with a ``fatter purse'' for sports infrastructure in the Annual Budget for the year 1999-2000 an increase of Rs. 13 crore. But is that sufficient? In fact, when compared to the requisites it is but a paltry sum.Inviting criticism from all quarters, it only goes to reinforce the fact that sport in India is a neglected area. We tend to criticise sportspersons for the lack of performance but to be fair and honest, do we ever find any government official putting his arm across the shoulder of any youngster, just when he needs it the most. But, win a medal - despite the system and not due to it - and the same sportsperson is swarmed by these very officials.Former Indian fast bowler Yograj Singh, who takes time off from his film commitments to coach the DAV College and Punjab University cricket teams, gets very vocal at the ``plight of the deserving sportspersons. The government needs to pump in more money if the standard of sport in our country has to go up. See how sport at the city, district or even national level is run and you are amazed how we had a Geet Sethi, a Prakash Padukone, a Jaspal Rana or a Leander Paes.''``The government can afford to be extravagant with so many schemes, but sport in India has never found many takers. If the coaches don't get proper infrastructure, the players themselves have to run around in their effort to put things in proper perspective. For that they either need financial assistance from the government or look for a sponsor,'' Yograj further felt.However, with no final shape being given to the promised Income Tax exemption (or rebate) to companies and individual sponsors for helping in creation of infrastructure and sponsoring players, no help is forthcoming from these quarters as well. J P Singh, a university tennis player said, ``The government ought to encourage companies for sponsorships. A game like tennis, for example, is expensive and if somebody has a sponsor to back him, it takes care of travelling, equipment and other small things. All he has to do is to play, and he does it to his potential.''The Punjab University Director-in-charge Kewal Singh, felt, ``It (the increase) could have been more. Modern sport depends so much on foreign equipment and infrastructure, but where is the money for us? (the universities don't get funds from the government). There must be government funds for us as well. Otherwise we have to depend on students fees and University Grants Comission/Associatuion of Indian Universites for the money.''With added pressure, and little government help, the sports goods industry too is going through rough waters. A while back, a group of sports goods industries in Punjab had requested the state government for rebate on excise duty in order to take on the foreign competition, (especially from Pakistan) but to no avail.Says, Arun Sharma, a sports goods dealer, ``There has been a manifold increase in production costs. As a result, the consumers (read sportspersons) have to shell out more. The demand too, has gone down. But for bulk sale orders (schools, colleges, companies etc) the industry would struggle for survival.''As if echoing Arun Sharma's feelings, Manoj Rajan, a university cricketer, says, ``A quality bat costs upwards of Rs. 2,000 or so and with so many other things thrown in, you cannot afford all that. It's okay till a college or university is giving you the kit but what when they stop that? Many would be forced to leave the game thus.''And, then we ask, ``Why can't we produce champions?''
