Punjab players on a war path

CHANDIGARH, July 27: With a view to stemming the injustice being meted out to past and present sports persons of the state, many internat...

CHANDIGARH, July 27: With a view to stemming the injustice being meted out to past and present sports persons of the state, many international sports persons have come together on the same platform and decided to establish the Punjab Sports Persons Welfare Association.

The man behind the show, Punjab Olympic Association secretary Arvind Khanna, under whose patronage the PSPWA will work, said here that 8220;to check mal-practices within the sports bodies and help the sports persons8217; cause we have decided to have our own voice. PSPWA will be controlled and run only by sports persons.8221;

8220;Punjab is one of the leading sport states in the country. We have so many famed internationals, but I feel that they are not getting their due. Many are jobless while a lucky few are doing jobs far less than their profile. Is it the way to treat our champions?,8221; Khanna argued, adding, 8220;That8217;s why we are suffering at the international level.8221;

Addressing mediapersons here today Khanna further said that Punjabi players who do not get jobs in the state explore outside avenues like the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Railways, Indian Airlines, Tatas etc. 8220;This way the talent goes out of the state.

Not only this, subsequently, these sports persons are looked down upon and the Punjab Sports Department does not recognise them. They are not even considered for state awards. This is no reasoning. Either give him a job or let him work outside but honour him to the best of his achievements,8221; Khanna said.

He said that similar bodies are affiliated both with the international Olympic Council and the Indian Olympic Association. 8220;we will hold talks with the various sports bodies in the state and the Punjab government. Our council will strive to get due respect, regard and honour for these players. We want them government to be fair to the sports persons and give jobs to them on priority basis. if they give us support, we will give them results, 8221; he said.

Khanna informed that they would raise funds through sponsorships from corporates houses to facilitate talented athletes in the state and would soon meet the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to aprise him of the situation. 8220;In case the State Government is not supportive, we will resort to dharnas,8221; Khanna said.

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Meanwhile the PSPWA had its first meeting on July 25 at Patiala in which more than 350 national/international sports persons of the state took part. The members elected Arjuna Awardee and former boxer Jaipal Singh as its president. 8220;We will have elections every two years since ours is a democratic body,8221; said Jaipal, who incidentally, was not honoured by the state government despite winning a silver medal in the 8217;86 Seoul Asian Games, as he was an outsider8217;, working out of the state.

8220;We have suffered a lot in our times. We don8217;t want this to happen to the coming generation of sports persons. We will ensure that they are treated on merit,8221;he added.

Another sports person to raise his grouse was international cyclist Harvinder Singh. An NIS topper of the 8217;94-94 batch, he was jobless even after that. 8220;I had to run from pillar to post for a job. My sports achievements were of no use. It was not until I tried my other resources8217; that I got a job, and that too as a Lower Division Clerk with the Punjab State Electricity Board. Certainly an international desrves more than this. I am afraid that there is nobody to shield sports persons like me. With the PSPWA, history will never repeat itself,8221; Harvinder said.

8220;There is absolutely no sports infrastructure in the state. We will have our units at the district/block level and help raise it. It will be transparent,8221; Harvinder promised.