..says Mrs. Sindhushree Khullar, Secretary, Ministry for Sports & Youth Affairs in conversation with reporters Anantdeep Singh, XII F, Aniket Sharma, XII D, Vishrutyi Sahni, XI E, Vallari Suharsh, X J & Sushant Singh, X-G from AIS Noida
There are conflicting reports about the preparedness for the CWG. Now with CWG just 55 days away, what according to you is the overall status of readiness and the key challenges?
This has been a matter of concern for many people. We have slipped in our preparations by a year, but all the infrastructure was handed over early this month. The progress is being monitored very closely; the infrastructure that is coming up is going to be top class, nothing less than the best! Some issues are there such as the cascading effects of the delay but most of the infrastructure is done and the rest will be ready in little time.
Amity Group is proud to be chosen as the Official Trainer for 30, 000 volunteers for the XIX Common Wealth Games. What are your expectations?
The volunteers will be actively participating in providing all sorts of assistance, trained to act as dope control officials, venue controlling and will also serve as escorts for various players. These volunteers will be a reflection of Indian hospitality and will be expected to create a good image of India. In any major event their cooperation is very important. We appreciate the initiative taken by Amity –it has set a legacy for others to follow.
How is this CWG different from the others, what it is that will make it stand out?
This time round we have taken an initiative to make the games green – ‘green games’ is the new idea. The commonwealth games will be eco- friendly, from the construction work and innovative designing to usage of recycled or eco-friendly products and solar panels in the stadium. Segregation sites have been installed where alba will be converted into pallets and bricks. Vigorous tree planting has taken place on the ‘Queen’s Baton’ route. I hope it will convey a positive message. From September 15 to October 15, a string of cultural activities, movies, exhibitions and fests will be held all over Delhi so that people can come forward and get involved in the CWG – it will be a Great Indian Festival and Delhi will adorn a festive look!
What are the government’s plans /policies for the promotion and utilization of the newly built world-class sports infrastructure post the CWG to enhance the standard of sports in the country? This is a very valid point that you have brought up. And it is one of the issues one should be concerned with. Well, the government has planned on a well defined PPP-Public-Private-Partnership on these facilities, so that they do not go unused or are not exploited. Such partnerships in the past have been a great success! Let’s hope it proves true this time as well.
What can a common man expect out of the ‘common’wealth games? We talk about the glory and success it will bring to the country but for the common man it is just proving to be detrimental, with the higher taxes, traffic jams, and increased prices?
Higher taxes and increased prices have nothing to do with the expenses of the CWG. A lumpsum has been allotted for this event by the Central Government. The common man has a lot to gain from this event now and in the future. You will see more of growth and positive changes around you -the metro, new T3 Terminal, flyovers, improved city infrastructures, improved sports infrastructure, better and wider roads, a greener and a more beautiful city.
Why is a country of our size & population not seen as one producing great sportsmen? I believe this has nothing to do with the size of the nation – it is the lack of sporting culture within our country. Cuba is 1/110th of our size,and yet it has 27000 national level players, while we have 5000. It is not that India doesn’t have world champions because we don’t have the infrastructure; maybe we don’t have the infrastructure because we don’t have the players.
On a concluding note, any message for our students?
I would only say, “Keep playing and convince everyone that there is a future in sports also.” We appreciate the initiative taken by Amity – it has set a legacy for others to follow.
Themillion dollar game
Sidhant Raghuvanshi, IX C, AISN
Had Sachin Tendulkar been a Tennis player, or a golfer or a formula 1 driver; I’m sure he would have asked a few questions to Roger Fedrer, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher, given the talent and will that Indians possess. But life’s not about ‘would have’ or ‘had been’. Sachin Tendulkar is a cricketer, a batsman, and exceptional at it when its about making runs on the cricket field. Here are a few facts stressing on how a game of cricket is different from other famous sports played around the world!
An active captain
Almost every minute of a 7 hour long one-day cricket match, a captain is making decisions (who should bowl and for how long, who is fielding where, who should bat, and when and how I’ll bat today) and yet stays calm.
Playing conditions
Tennis Grand Slams have fixed type of surface, so does soccer (except when it rains), Olympic sports and Rudby too, to some extent. But in cricket - playing conditions (Pitch, wind, outfield, Day or Day/Night) all vary from one country to another if not from one stadium to another.
The lengthy playing duration I’ll admit I’m not aware of all kind of sports on Earth we human beings play.. but can’t recall one right now which goes as long as 5 days consecutively, except cricket!
Waka waka Next time for India
Nishant Roy & Ayan Pandey, IX-G, AIS Noida
The Football World Cup just blew us away with many incredible clashes. The Spaniards, finally hoisting the trophy for the first time in history, were a force to reckon with. A lot of youngsters sparkled while many veterans failed to shine, but on the whole, the teams were brilliant. Three Asian teams qualified for the FIFA world cup this year, yet, India was missing again. So the question arises, why can’t India qualify today?
The price of a ticket to an IPL match ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs. 40,000 whereas all a ticket to the Nehru Cup, a prestigious Indian football tournament, costs is Rs. 20! This clearly shows how much importance is given to which sport.
There is a lack of initiative on the government’s behalf to hone such skills. If you go to any locality, you will find numerous children playing football, and they are quite good. All India requires are some enterprising government officials to take a stand against this dominance of sports by cricket, organize proper training, and we are convinced that India will be right back on track and in the running for the esteemed prize - The Football World Cup.
Commonwealth games ke
kuchh naye jalwe
Amlaan Kumar, VII E, AIS Noida
As we all know, the Commonwealth Games are going to be held in New Delhi from October 3 this year. There are going to be 17 different types of sports and games which will be included in the 11-day-long event. But what many of us will not be aware of is the one new game in the list—tennis. It had been introduced to the world way back in the 19th century, but is being inducted in the Commonwealth Games only now, not withstanding its popularity across the globe. Some of the other sports and games that have been incorporated in the Commonwealth Games in recent times include:
1. Hockey – Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998
2. Netball – Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998
3. Rugby Sevens – Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998
4. Squash – Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998
5. Table Tennis – Manchester Games in 2002.
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