PANJIM: Parents of young table tennis and swimming sportspersons as well as officials of the two respective State level associations, have been agitating over the manner in which the Khelo India Centre in Panjim has been operating, alleging it has been putting the local sportspersons to a disadvantage and even being discriminated in their own land.
At present, the Khelo India Centre in Panjim has also admitted youngsters from other parts of India, who can compete in State events, and this is the major irritant among the locals. In badminton, out of the 24 who were selected, 12 are Goans. In swimming, 14 are Goans out of the 24. In table tennis, there are just four Goans out of the 24.
To start with, it is being pointed out that the correct nomenclature is State Level Khelo India Centre (SLKIC), thereby implying that it is mainly to cater to the State population and there hundreds of such centres spread all over India in the States/Union Territories. It is not an all-India or a national centre.
Since there are centres all over the country, doubts have been expressed that these outstation children may not have been able to stand a chance for selection in their own State centres and as such it is alleged that this may be a case wherein they may have taken the benefit of the well known SAG policy to admit migrants, a la 70:30 formula launched for the National Games to be held in Goa.
As of today, there are 523 SLKIC centres notified across 405 districts in 29 States all over India and over a period of four years, it has been planned to establish 1000 such centres across the country with a maximum of two centres per district. However, in the initial phase, it is planned to have one SLKIC in each district for one discipline, as per the Modified Implementation Guidelines for Khelo India Centres dated July 6, 2022.
As part of strengthening the monitoring mechanism and effective implementation, the SAI Regional Centre acts as the nodal point of contact for States for funds management, monitoring and evaluation. The talent identification and talent development is to be done by the respective past champion athlete or organisation with SAI assisting with technical expertise to augment performance management system at the centre. As such, the SAI would be in the best position, to clarify if centres elsewhere in the country have been admitting children at the grassroots from other States than their own.
The objective of the SLKIC is to provide sports training/coaching to willing children and also provide sustainable source of livelihood outside the Government set up to past champion athletes. It is a key component under the Khelo India scheme which envisages better utilization of sports infrastructure throughout the country. It also aims to strengthen the sports ecosystem at the grassroots level by providing financial support to States to engage past champion athletes to coach and mentor youngsters across various disciplines.
The Panjim centre has followed its scheme in selecting the trainees. The Khelo India rules describe the methodology for grassroot talent identification which shall be implemented under two categories – potential talent identification and proven talent identification.
The Khelo India Mobile App and Fit India App would be used for capturing the data for which age-appropriate protocols have been developed. A PE teachers’ training programme also is in place to facilitate the evaluation of participants. State Education Board/State Sports Department/other State level entities may take the initiative of training PE teachers in the State.
Under Proven Talent Identification, five talent identification zonal committees (TIZC) must be formed for each sports discipline to cover the entire country. Twenty sports disciplines, including table tennis, badminton, swimming, as in Goa, shall be initially covered as part of the talent identification drive. Each committee would have six to seven members nominated in consultation with National Sports Federations to shortlist and finalise the aspirants. Talent scouts (mostly ex-athletes) nominated by each State shall attend competitions in their respective zones to identify proven talent. An assessment camp shortlist of proven talents shall be conducted by TIZC.
The elite talent identification should be conducted through two committees – talent screening committee and talent identification and development committee.
There are specific rules governing talent development under grassroots, intermediate and elite categories. And, to be eligible for grant, the SLKIC is required to have a minimum of 30 regular trainees in each discipline. The SKLIC is one of the key components under the revised Khelo India – National Programme for Development of Sports Scheme.
With the Panjim centre, opening its doors for outsiders, although it is not an all-India or National centre, parents of table tennis players in Goa fear that their children will not get an opportunity to represent the State or pursue a career in the sport with Khelo India Centre trainees dominating state tournaments and now eligible to wear Goa colours for national events. The Goa centre started last year and its trainees have started participating in state tournaments.
Handpicked from States like Assam, Delhi, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand, these players are a cut above the rest in Goa. “We cannot compete with them,” Sanjeev Naik stated.
The Goa Swimming Association (GSA) has decided to exclude outstation swimmers of Khelo India Centre in Panjim from participating in the swimming championship for similar reasons as advanced by the table tennis fraternity. The table tennis association had no alternative but to allow the outsiders to participate in the state event as there were apprehensions that their grants would not be released otherwise, although its president Vero Nunes was never in favour of admitting outsiders.
Goa Swimming Association secretary Sudesh Nagvenkar opined that if outstation swimmers are allowed to participate and then sent for the nationals, it would be to the detriment of Goan swimmers. “The National Federation will not entertain them. We will not allow them to participate in our championship” said Nagvenkar.
The general feeling is that one needs to patronise and develop first the best of one’s own State and as such allow the locals to flourish at the grassroots. The State departments adhere to the rules and regulations pertaining to the State including those concerning domicile and language and this centre one feels should be no exception for that. Only that the SAG is against it.
