Jammu, Feb 20 (Agency) To encourage and take measures to provide higher levels of learning, Jammu and Kashmir government under the first ever launched ‘Sports Policy’ will create a pool of trained personnel to introduce sports sciences in various branches across the Union Territory, officials informed on Sunday. Notably, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor on February 12 launched the first of its kind Sports Policy in the welfare and interest of the players and sportspersons. As per the Sports Policy document, sports science branches comprising Exercise Physiology, Sports Medicine, Sports Psychology, Sports Anthropometry, Sports Biochemistry, Sports Biomechanics, Sports Physiotherapy, Sports Coaching, Sports Nutrition, Sports Physiology and Sports Coaching will be introduced for capacity building of coaches, trainers, and technical staff from within the Union Territory. The Sports Science sector will enable and empower the nurturing of talent from the community to the elite level and a clear and strategic coach development program will be put in place, read the document further adding that this will ensure appropriate coaching talent is identified, trained, incentivized and promoted.
“Creating sustainable, lucrative, career opportunities in coaching have the potential to catalyze and invigorate the sporting ecosystem in many ways,” it read. The Sports Policy document read that a systematic approach that recognizes appropriate coaching talent, empowers talent with knowledge, skills, exposure and a professional profile that increases credibility and recognition and, hence a long term impact-driven programme needs to be put into place. “Quality coaching shall not only enhance the competitive ability of sportspersons but also create sustainable and aspirational career models in the field of coaching,” it read. However, the document further stated that to take coaching to the desired level, the policy shall ensure coordination between various stakeholders like sports academies, sports associations, high performance coaches and educational institutions. Eyeing that the sportspersons require special medical attention and treatment, a center of sports medicine and human performance lab shall be established at capital cities to measure the physiological and physical performance of sportspersons periodically to record the changes in their physiological and physical performance, so that training program could be changed accordingly.
These centers, read the document, will have the facilities for testing and evaluating the sportspersons in biomechanics, sports-psychology, sports medicine and anthropometry, thus providing scientific backup to the players. “The Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council shall establish Sports and Wellness Centre for the rehabilitation of drug addicts that will work under the administrative control of the J&K Sports Council with the active support from Department of Psychiatry, Government Medical College Srinagar and Jammu with the overarching supervision of the Department of Youth Services and Sports,” it read. Moreover, the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council will also organize sports activities and health check ups for the target group. Besides, the Sports Policy has also been drafted focusing at the growth of coaches and trainers through a Strategic Coach Development Program (SCDP) at three levels comprising Community level – former UT level sports persons with training from recognized sports coaching, Intermediate Level -former national players with specialized training in coaching from nationally recognized sports coaching institutes and Sports Authority of India (SAI) with at least 5 years of experience in training or coaching and Elite Level – High performance sportspersons, / former national / international players with specialized training in coaching from nationally recognized sports coaching institutes with at least 10 years of experience in training or coaching of high performance coaches and sportspersons, read the Sports Policy. Identification program, Education program, Monitoring program and Incentive program are the four key aspects for each of the levels.
“J&K Govt shall also run sports hostels in different games in a phased manner in which the the trainees shall be provided facilities i.e. boarding, lodging, education, sports kit etc as per laid down norms while medical facilities shall be provided in the hostels for regular checkup of the trainees apart from sports equipment,” it read. Sports Academies, Day Boarding Scheme, sporting needs of Specially- Abled Sportspersons will also be taken care of, read the policy. It has also laid thrust on promoting Rural Sports with a vision for promoting excellence in traditional sports like Kho-Kho, Kabaddi, Archery, Mud Wrestling and Tug of War by laying emphasis on developing facilities for coaching of these sports across the Union Territory. “The talent of rural youth shall be scouted and nurtured in coaching camps for national competitions for which the financial assistance shall be provided for achieving excellence in these sports,” it read. Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha after launching the Sports Policy had said that for the sportspersons who bring laurels to the UT and for the budding sportspersons, the J&K Sports policy-2022 has been rolled out which a focuse on creating world class infrastructure, coaching, and varied opportunities of growth in sports. “It also offers government jobs and cash rewards from Rs 10,000 up to Rs One crore for the exceptional achievements of the sports persons”, the Lt Governor had said.