PRIVATE FUNDING NEEDED FOR SPORTING EXCELLENCE IN INDIA: UMA BHARTI
FICCI & SAI SIGN MOU FOR GOVERNMENT-INDUSTRY
PARTNERSHIP IN SPORTS
Minister for Youth Affairs
and Sports, Sushree Uma Bharti said that a lot still needs to
be done to bring the Indian sports up to the international level.
Lack of funds restricts the Ministry in its attempts to develop
sports infrastructure and provide necessary inputs crucial for
development of sports in general and sports excellence in particular.
Consequently, many of India’s talented sports persons are unable
to give their optimum performance at international sports events.
If we can manage to channelize private funding, management expertise
and marketing in implementation of sports development schemes,
India will make giant strides in the field of sports, the Minister
added. She was addressing the Open House on Public Private Partnership:
Roadmap to Excellence in Sports in India, here today. Secretary
(Sports), Shri S. S. Sharma, DG (SAI) and President, FICCI also
addressed the participants on the occasion.
An MOU between Sports Authority
of India (SAI) and FICCI was also signed on the occasion for Public
Private Partnership in the development of sports and make it reach
world standards. The MOU signed for a period of three years upto
31st March, 2005 provides for joint efforts of the
industry and the Government for enhancing the quality of sports.
The MOU was signed by DG (SAI), Shri Shekhar Dutt and President
of FICCI, Shri R. S. Lodha. Under the MOU, both FICCI and SAI
will jointly identify short term and long term partnerships.
As far as immediate action
to be taken under MOU is concerned, FICCI and SAI have identified
and agreed to undertake to supplement SAI efforts at National
camps preparatory to Commonwealth, Asian Games in 2002 and Olympic
Games in 2004 in the following areas: -
- Identify medal hopefuls and help secure
industry support to supplement their training needs by either
getting international experts to India or sending the identified
players abroad for training.
- Aim to procure best of its class sports
training equipment for various disciplines.
- Provide ‘sports science’ back-up facility
in terms of funding of Indian as well as international specialists,
sports psychologists, physiologists, trainers, coaches, recovery
persons, dieticians, etc. who help to enhance the performance
of sports persons.
- Help in prevention of injuries and provide
assistance in rehabilitation of injured sports persons.
- Help in exploring the possibility of organising
international competitions or sending medal hopefuls for such
competitions to give them the vital exposure/practice for the
Commonwealth and Asian Games in the short run and Olympic Games
2004 in the long run.
- Help in creation of Data Bank and also in
publication of Sports journals giving information on latest
development in Sports.
