Fundamental flaw: No eligible players, money sitting idle

Former cricketer Kapil Dev had donated Rs 1.21 crore to the NSDF to promote non-cricket sports in the country. But neither the Government nor the committee (that manages the NSDF) has been able to find a sportsperson to spend the money on.

In a recent reply in Parliament, the Government admitted the money donated by Kapil Dev was lying ‘‘unutilised’’. However, the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs has this to say, ‘‘Kapil donated the money to be spent on Arjun awardees. No one was found eligible. The money was shifted to NSDF with his consent and it has grown with interest.’’

It is another matter that the NSDF was set up in 1998 to generate funds from corporate bodies, by providing 100 per cent tax exemption. But the committee, which has as its members ‘‘sporting legends’’ like former sprint queen P.T. Usha, hockey player Pargat Singh and several babus, has not been able to tap corporate sources.

Instead, public sector banks and PSUs were made to cough up funds. Thus Oriental Bank has contributed Rs 5 lakh, Rural Electrification Power Corporation Rs 5 lakh, Balmer Lawrie Rs 1 lakh, Punjab National Bank Rs 5.50 lakh, National Mineral Development Corporation Rs 10,000, Naptha Jhakri Power Corporation Rs 2 lakh, HUDCO Rs 25 lakh, Exim Bank Rs 5 lakh, Bank of India Rs 50,000, Chennai Petroleum Corporation Rs 1 lakh, SBI Rs 5 lakh, Central Bank Rs 1.25 lakh, Bank of Mysore Rs 25,000.

This was in addition to the Rs 2 crore corpus the Government provided as seed money for the NSDF. The only sporting activity that NSDF has funded is shooting, on which three-fourth of the funds has been spent.

Washing their hands of the matter, Sports Ministry officials say: ‘‘What can we do? Grants can only be given when properly applied for and certified by coaches. Details of the coaching programme have to be attached to the application form. Eminent sportspersons are members of the committee, they are the ones responsible for the evaluation. What can we do?’’