Media Walkathon route declared

Nagpur, May 28:The 'Media Walkathon' organised by Sports Journalists' Association of Nagpur (SJAN) in association with  Tirupati Urban cooperative Bank Limited with a slogan " Walk for Health" on June 1 is receiving  good response.

On June 1 (Sunday) the event will be flagged off at 6.30 and the participants have been asked to report at 6 a.m. The four kilometre walk for men in below and above 50 years category will start from Dr Ambedkar College and by taking the route of Government Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Kachipura police station, Alankar Talkies, Shankar Nagar square, Bajaj Nagar, Matruseva Sangh College will terminate at Dr Ambedkar College Sports Academy ground. 

Similarly two-kilometre walk for women will be flagged off from Dr Ambedkar College and by taking the route of Government Chitrakala Mahavidyalaya, Kachipura Police station, Bajaj Nagar square, Matruseva Sangh College it will terminate at  the Dr Ambedkar College Sports Academy ground. 

The prize distribution function will be held immediately after the event.  Attractive prizes and mementoes will be given to first three winners in each category.  T-shirts and caps will be given to the participants prior to the event. Meanwhile the organisers have extended the last date of entry by one day. Now the entry will close on Thursday at 6 p.m. 

 Those who have not confirmed their entry can contact the sports desk of newspapers, informs convener of the event Kishor Bagde.

Brighter future of sports facilities: District Sports Officer Vijay Santan

District Sports Officer Vijay Santan vowed for a brighter future of sports facilities in the district and expected more promise in terms of results in the upcoming season. 

The sports officer was invited by the Sports Journalist Association of Nagpur for an interaction with local media-persons at its Vivekanand Nagar-based office on Monday. Citing the ongoings at the Nagpur District Sports Complex in Mankapur, Santan expressed delight over the efforts that have been exercised in the campus over the course of the past 12 months and has also incepted rays of hope for next period. Santan, who is also additionally holding the district sports assistant director’s office, briefed, “Undoubtedly the complex has organised a host of sports-related activities in the previous session. Especially the DSO office has taken several steps to enhance sports at the school level. Apart from this, various sports camps and a national level powerlifting competition have also been housed under this roof. A large number of sportspersons can be found training round the clock inside the indoor facility.”

Having said that, Santan accepted that a more robust planning to provide specialisation in field and track events needs to be put in place, and i

nformed that a committee has been working on the same. He said, “Beyond the bounds of indoor games, there is a shortage of other facilities available in the complex. Specifically athletics and other sports like football are been overlooked as a result. But within the coming 18-24 months, a more adamantine setup including synthetic tracks will be installed.”

The officer stated the known fact that you can not continuously produce a herd of sportspersons without a proper infrastructure to foster them. Being the second capital of Maharashtra, Nagpur deserves a fully-equipped sports complex for its embryonic sporting talents to enable them to compete with the state’s best. 

Proposal for Youth Hostel 

Santan accentuated that a proposal to construct youth hostels inside the campus of the sports complex has been forwarded to the state sports department. As per the blueprint, a total of 100 rooms and 2 big halls are in the pipeline for the players, officials and coaches who are a part of the competitions being put up at the complex. This will result in a larger utilisation of the complex and also will attract more events in its vicinity. 

Involvement of corporates

Under the Corporate Social Responsibility ruling, efforts are being made to direct the same for organisning school-level competitions, said Santan. An increased influx of capital will nothing but speed up the development of sports. He told that old wrestling rings have been identified in the area and a sum of Rs 7 lakh has been assigned for the renovation of each one. 

4 inter-school events

Tournaments from as many as four different sports have been delegated to the sports complex in the coming session. This includes women’s basketball apart from boys and girls powerlifting, kho-kho and woodball events. A bid to host the national volleyball tournament is also being made add to this. 

Website to surface soon

The DSO office is planning to launch a website in the near future. It will provide an active medium to inform mass audiences about the schedules, results, players and results from the local world of sport. 

NIT chief reveals developmental plans of sports

As a part of throughout development of the city, the Nagpur Improvement Trust (NIT) is concentrating on development sports infrastructure in the city and for that the NIT authorities has chalked out a plan that was revealed by its chairman Praveen Darade while interacting with the members of Sports Journalists' Association of Nagpur (SJAN) at its Vivekanand Nagar office on Saturday. 

Darade who himself was a good athlete in his school and college days said, " As far as sports is concerned it is out top priority. We want to create maximum sports facility for the citizens so that they could give the importance to physical fitness". taking a step towards development of sports, NIT has identified 75 open places in the city which will be developed in future. It will have playfield, walking track, changing rooms, high mast lights. " Once developed we will handover the ground to the interested sports organisations on 15 years lease basis", Darade said. 

He said NIT is planning to build one indoor sports complex worth Rs 3 crore  in south, north, east and west Nagpur areas and one already has started at Swablambi Nagar. About the renovation of NIT swimming pool, Darade informed that NIt will spend around Rs 13 crore on its renovation. Apart from swimming it will have additional facilities of  two squash courts,  gymnasium, hall for table tennis and carrom and ozone plant. " We have already floated the tender and the work will start soon", he said. 

Asked about the status of synthetic track at divisional sports complex premises, Darade said, " As the earlier contractor was sacked for not maintaining the deadline, we ourselves had urged the divisional commissioner to handover the work to NIT as we have qualified staff to look after day to day progress. I am hopeful that within one year the work of synthetic track will be completed".

Asked about its maintenance The NIT chief said, " To earn the money is not our air. The primary  motive is to provide the facilities to the sportspersons at affordable rates and for that we will also study the Balewadi model. In fact we are talking to divisional sports complex authorities to handover entire complex and surrounding area to NIT for its maintenance". 

Darade also informed that the NIt has handover the Ram Nagar tennis court to Nagpur Improvement Trust and now they will continue the lease to the district tennis association. NIT will also lay 400 metre mud track as Reshimbagh ground and its Gandhi Nagar skating rink will be made synthetic in future. 

Superintendent engineer of NIT Sunil Gujjalwar, NDBA secretary Mangesh Kashikar and Nagpur District Athletic Association secretary Prof. Sharad Suryavanshi were also present on the occasion. 

'Exclusive badminton hall need of the hour'

Although the game of badminton is flourishing day by day, its organiser Nagpur District Badminton Association (NDBA) is finding it difficult to conduct the activities smoothly due to lack of exclusive badminton hall of their own. All the panelists including NDBA secretary Mangesh Kashikar, treasurer Yeshwant Kerhalkar and former player turned coach Ajay Dayal were of the opinion that infrastructure is the main problem in the city and that can hamper the progress of city badminton players. 

They were speaking during the penal discussion organised by Sports Journalits' Association of Nagpur (SJAN) at its office in Vivekanand Nagar on Wednesday. 

Mangesh Kashikar said, " At present we have no badminton hall of our own. We have to depend heavily on Subhedar Hall  to conduct the regular tournaments. The wooden court at Divisional Sports Complex is not fit for the badminton. Therefore we are now trying to have our own hall".

Kashikar revealed that the NDBA has approached the Nagpur Municipal Corporation authorities with a demand to handover the yet to be inaugurated  indoor sports complex at Vivekanand Nagar and for that the association has also filled the tender. 

" The wooden court at Vivekananand Nagar Sports Complex is fit for badminton activity. It we get the hall on lease, then can organise the forthcoming State Junior Badminton Championship at the sports complex in coming July", he said. Kashikar further said NIT was willing to give them land for badminton hall at South Nagpur but since the game is not popular is that area, NDBA didn't show much interest. 

Speaking about badminton scenario in the city, Yeshwant Kerhalkar who is the father of talented shuttler Sourabh Kerhalkar said to give the exposure to the city players more and more tournament should be organised. He said, " As compared to Mumbai and Pune, Nagpur lack infrastructure. We only expect good results but have no infrastructure. If in Pune there are more than 150 badminton courts, Nagpur has only around 50". Speaking as a parent he said, financially badminton is no longer a aam admi's game.  "Nowadays badminton has become more costly. We parent always find if difficult to arrange the finance. I would like to appeal the corporate houses to come forward and sponsor the players".Kerhalkar has also suggested that a national-level coach should hold a camp in the city so that the local players nd coaches will get the benefit of his experience. 

 Ajay Dayal who is imparting the coaching to the budding players said, " As compared to the days when I was playing, today's players are lucky that NDBA is supporting them. I had not seen State-level tournament in the city when I was playing but today the scenario is altogether encouraging". He also advised the palyers to utilise the services of big national-level coaches to enhance their standard. 

Shuttle shooter machine

Just like bowling machine in cricket, the NDBA has purchased China made shuttle shooter machine worth Rs 7.5 lakh. Giving more details about it Kashikar said, the machine releases one shuttle in one second in a rapid speed. It will definitely give the benefit to the senior players who always make a complaint that they have no strong opponent against whom they can compete.