Now, caste in play in UP sports

‘‘There will be 21 per cent reservation in fair price shops for SCs, two per cent for STs and 27 per cent for Backwards. Besides, there will be a horizontal reservation of 20 per cent for women, eight per cent for martyrs and handicapped soldiers,’’ said a letter sent by Principal Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies, Khanjan Lal, to all DMs.

The decision, first of its kind in sports, will affect nearly 23 sports hostels and two sports colleges in the state.

The combined strength of sports hostels in the state at present is 420 while the two sports colleges in Lucknow and the Gorakhpur have a strength of 270 and 320 students respectively. Most of the inmates in these now belong to the upper caste.

‘‘This decision will be a major blow to sports. The state is already at the lowest slot in producing good sportsmen and this decision will cause it to further deteriorate,’’ UP Judo Association secretary, Munawar Zamil, who faxed a protest letter to Mayawati, said.

The state government order has reserved 21 per cent seats for SCs, two per cent for STs and 27 per cent for Backwards in UP’s sports colleges and hostels. ‘‘This is something unheard of. A sportsman is known by the number of medals he wins. Mayawati should have made reservation mandatory in giving medals if she is concerned about doing something good for SCs and Backwards,’’ said former chairman of the UP Ranji Trophy Selection Committee Rohit Chaturvedi.

But the writing on the wall had become clear two months ago when a three member team, under the leadership of Lucknow Sports college Principal Nirmal Singh Saini, was formed to find out how youngsters from reserved categories could be trained for selection in sports colleges and hostels.

‘‘Sportsmen were as it is not getting incentives, now reservation will force them to migrate,’’ said former Deputy Director Neeru Kapoor. He is not wrong.

‘‘UP has an overdose of politics. The government has announced Rs 2 lakh as reward for my achievement but I am not sure I will get the same,’’ said judoka Anwar Sultan, who won a silver medal in the recent Commonwealth Games at Manchester. He is now serving in the CISF. ‘‘I tried thrice for a job in UP police but was rejected,’’ he said.

Once admitted to the sports hostels or colleges, students are adopted as it were by the government which caters to their every need, including education and special training.