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Journalism of Courage
NEW DELHI, February 12: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) today promised to change the face of Indian sports if it is voted to power.
Olympian Ajitpal Singh, former Test cricketer Kirti Azad joined BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra who told mediapersons here that the party has promised to set up a youth-cum-sports commission and Indian Sports Service on the pattern of civil services.
Malhotra, who is the convener of the committee which drafted the sports and youth policy of the BJP manifesto, asserted that his was the only party which has categorically identified sports for a major improvement.
Malhotra asserted that the BJP will formulate a new sports policy and will streamline the functioning of the Sports Authority of India (SAI). He said as much as 80 per cent of the allocation made for sports in the general budget goes to the SAI for paying its staff’s salaries and maintenance of the infrastructure.
He said his party will provide a much higher budget for sports and give hundred percent tax exemptionto sponsors of sports events.
He also promised that the functioning of sports bodies will be immediately freed from all bureaucratic and political interference.
"We will have well-conceived, long-term policies with regard to India’s participation in international events like Olympics, Commonwealth, Asian Games and other world meets," he said.
Malhotra also said sports will be made a compulsory subject in all educational curriculum and with this "we will involve millions of youth to take part in sports."
The BJP also plans to have countrywide network of sports clubs to involve sections of society who are not students in various activities. He said the idea behind sports commission was that sportspersons should have a forum to get their grievances redressed.
