Trainees cry for basic facilities at S A S Nagar coaching centre

CHANDIGARH, June 9: The ambience of a coaching centre is missing at the Government Senior Secondary School, Phase 3- B-I, which is one of th...

CHANDIGARH, June 9: The ambience of a coaching centre is missing at the Government Senior Secondary School, Phase 3- B-I, which is one of the training centres of the Punjab Sports Department at SAS Nagar. The budding sportspersons, some of whom have donned the state colours, are encountering not only summer heat but deplorable conditions at the centre as well.

Though, the centre is at a stone8217;s throw distance from the Director Sports, Punjab Sports Department, office at Chandigarh, it sans basic playing facilities to nurture talent. However, due to lack of proper maintenance, the ground has become injury prone.

This is in spite of the fact that the Punjab Sports Department have posted coaches in five disciplines 8211; cricket, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho and handball at the centre. The grounds are in a state of total neglect despite four groundmen being posted there.

In the traditional Indian sports 8211; kho-kho and kabaddi 8211; the players mostly train bare footed. They however, are finding it hard to train on the two courts which have become as hard as a rock. The conditions at the adjacent kabaddi court is also the same. 8220;The courts are bad, but there is no other playing facilities in the vicinity so we have to come here centre,8221; said one of the kho-kho players. Since, Harmohan Kaur, a kabaddi coach, had to go to Ropar on an official visit, the players took a day off and were not available for comments.

A few youngsters who played at the hockey field today evening, raised a cloud of dust whenever there was a scramble for the ball. The hockey goalposts were broken and without nets.

Since wild grass had covered the bare patch of earth where the cricketers did net practice, they had no other alternative except to train at the nets.8220;The present condition of all the playing fields is due to lack of adequate ground staff at the centre and the pressure of water is also less nowadays,8221; disclosed one of the coaches at the centre. The argument was countered by a school employee who said 8220;the pressure of water is enough during morning and evening hours. 8221; He added, 8220; But no one from the Sports Department seems to be interested in maintaining the playing arena.8221;According to sources the school does not have any ground staff.

Col Raminder Singh, Director Sports, Punjab Sports Department, however, refused to comment when contacted on the phone.

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A spokesman of the department said that it is the responsibility of the school authorities to look after the maintenance of the play field. 8220;We provide the coaches and equipment to the trainees at the centre.8221; But it is more than what meets the eye. The weight training hall cum-store room at the centre, is the true reflection of the equipment provided by the department.

The bench press is lacking proper padding. The multi-purpose machine is virtually out of order. An exercising cycle in one corner of the room is gathering dust. The school prinicipal, Chaman Lal, too was not available for comments.