*Clubs essential for sports upliftment: Prabhudesai * Farrel, Powar flayed.
Tug-of-war is a recognised sport by Government of India since 1999 with the Goa State Tug-of-War Association being recognised by Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) as well as Goa Olympic Association (GOA), stated SAG’s Executive Director V M Prabhudesai on Sunday. “So, belittling the sport, is absolutely uncalled for and unsporting too, to say the least.”
“Inter-school and inter-higher secondary sports are being conducted by Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs and also SAG, while inter-college is looked after the Goa University. State level associations conduct championships in the open category as well as inter-school or age-group events under their belt in which students also participate. They are recognised events. It happens in football, cricket, basketball, table tennis and many other disciplines,” explained Prabhudesai.
The tug-of-war event in question was open to educational institutions as well as clubs. Since RMS HSS did not field the team in the championship, the students who have been practicising on a regular basis had no option but to get through a sports club. The event was recognised by SAG and so it was an official one.
There are several National level championships being conducted in tug-of-war by the Federation and all these are duly recognised. The State level association has been holding events regularly for age-group categories, just like the table tennis, badminton, football, cricket and other associations do in Goa.
“There are 42 State level associations which are recognised by the Government and tug-of-war is one of them. The DSYA cannot conduct tournaments in all the disciplines. They have their own limitations. That does not mean that other disciplines are unrecognised. Consequently, the Govt, the Board or for that matter any other authority cannot ignore the recognised events,” pointed out Prabhudesai.
Prabhudesai lashed out at RMS HSS principal Vinod Powar for being vindictive against his own students, who feel aggrieved that they are not getting the necessary boost for participation in sports also from their own physical education teacher. Moreover, there is no rule that the students cannot play for clubs, he added.
“The principal is misguiding the press and others. First of all, the championship was not organised by a sports club, but by a recognised association. Secondly, there is no rule that the students cannot take part in association-recognised events. Thirdly, it stands to reason, that when the school does not participate, the students should not be made to suffer,” reasoned out Prabhudesai.
“The principal sought all the circulars regarding the Sports Policy from me almost a month back since he had no documents/circulars with him. He was provided with all the details and also informed that the SAG was also conducting events for school children alongwith associations. The Sports Policy was also explained to him. He then thought of seeking the Principals Forum advice and subsequently said that he would get to the management and then, if the Board had no objection in giving merit marks, he would also have no objection. He asked for a directive of the Board. Suddenly now he has done a volte-face as if he wants to settle some score,” divulged the top SAG official.
“Nearly 20 State associations have conducted age-group and open events and school students have taken part and already availed of merit marks in the past. RMS HSS may have just 27 students who have asked for merit marks, but there are hundreds of students from various other schools who have already availed of such benefit after participating in various recognised events. So what is this big fuss about,” queried Prabhudesai.
“Sports Clubs play a pivotal role in the promotion of sports. In Goa, if football and cricket is alive and sparkling and if the footballers and cricket players also earn very decent, high salaries, some, much, much more than the principals and teachers and many others, it is precisely because of the clubs,” stressed Prabhudesai. “So, please don’t give this false impression and image that clubs are worthless and meaningless.”
“There are some teachers, including those handling PE, who do not encourage children to take up to sports because that involves additional work in the evenings, which becomes unpalatable if one has taken additional jobs like insurance agents or other part-time jobs. Often students are discouraged by teachers and when this is the attitude, the students have to look to other alternatives,” remarked Prabhudesai.
Prabhudesai also rapped Farrel Furtado, a teacher at Maria Bambina at Cuncolim connected with women’s hockey. “She bragged that her hockey players would turn up for an event and play just a 10-minute game because there were too many teams and that it was not proper to allot marks in such a situation. She feels that others also follow such malpractices. It is utter nonsense. There were more than 40 teams in tug-of-war championship and the competition was held without violating any rule and regulation. It looks as if there are only 27 students who want to benefit from merit marks whereas there are hundreds who have already benefited in the past,” voiced Prabhudesai. “So, are you going to retract the marks?”
Prabhudesai decried the principal’s attitude in changing his stand on merit marks to his students. “He alongwith his PE teacher even posed with the students for a photograph since the students had done so well in tug-of-war. And now, he is singing a different tune. These are double-standards,” remarked Prabhudesai.
“People are offering different interpretations now. There are some who are in hockey, kho kho, baseball. The Sports Policy was being debated for over a decade and opinions were sought from all during the last phase before its finalisation. Associations know that it is possible to participate directly at State level without going thro’ Taluka and so on. It is happening in several disciplines and it will also happen in the future. In any case, a meeting of all State associations and GOA is being contemplated as they have a crucial role in the upliftmenf of sports, and they are the ones who are involved in the organisation,” Prabhudesai concluded.
