Monday Musing
[ M Doley ]
Lack of support for athletes, dormant sports organisations and insufficient infrastructure paint a grim picture of sports in Arunachal Pradesh.
Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for an athlete to enhance their level of performance. An athlete can’t build the strength and endurance needed for better performance without the right fuel.
The athletes, particularly the weightlifters, often accuse the state government of not providing financial support for procuring nutritional supplements despite repeated appeals.
A weightlifter needs to start loading nutrients at least three to four months ahead of a competition. If the nutrition the body needs is not maintained, it leads to serious injury.
Last year, a weightlifter from the state told me that he was serving in the Indian Army only to support himself financially, so that he can continue pursuing the sport.
It is pertinent to mention that most of the state’s weightlifters are products of Pune (Maharashtra)-based Army Sports Institute, and they play for the Services.
In recent years, there have been efforts to improve the quality of sports in Arunachal, and there have been some successes in some selected disciplines.
The performance of Arunachal in the last two National Games provides us a glimpse into the current sports scenario of the state.
The state achieved its best-ever performance in the 37th National Games in Goa with 13 medals, including six gold, 2 silver and five bronzes, surpassing its previous record of six gold and one silver medals. However, the medals came from only three disciplines – Taekwondo, Wushu and weightlifting. Notably, nine medals out of the total 13 were won by female athletes, outperforming their male counterparts. The other disciplines in which the state had participated were boxing, Judo, Pencak Silat and track and field events.
There are a total of 63 state-level sports associations affiliated to the Arunachal Olympic Association (AOA), out of which 33 are in a state of dormancy, the AOA said, adding that some of these associations have never ever participated in any event or tournament.
The Arunachal State Badminton Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Football Association, the Arunachal Karate-do Association, the Arunachal Taekwondo Association, the Arunachal Weightlifting Association, the Arunachal Wushu Association, and the Arunachal Pradesh Pencak Silat Association are the few ones which regularly participate in almost all the recognised national and international events, the AOA said.
“The dormant associations are the Arunachal Bodybuilding Association, the Arunachal Archery Association, the Arunachal Carom Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Handball Association, the All Arunachal Pradesh Tennikoit Association, the Arunachal Wrestling Association, the School Games Association of Arunachal, the Arunachal Athletic Association, the Arunachal Fencing Association, Hockey Arunachal, the Arunachal Kabaddi Association, the Arunachal Power Lifting Association, the Arunachal Volleyball Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Billiard & Snooker Association, the Arunachal Softball Association, the Arunachal Sports Climbing Association, the Equestrian Association of Arunachal, the Arunachal Amateur Aquatic Association, the Arunachal Sepak Takraw Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Strength lifting Association, the Arunachal Pradesh NetBall Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Kurash Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Gymnastic Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Due Ball Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Beach Volleyball Association, the All Arunachal Tennis Ball Cricket Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Bridge Federation, the Arunachal Sambo Association, the Motor Sports Association of Arunachal, the Arunachal Ball Badminton Association, the Shooting Ball Association of Arunachal Pradesh, the Arunachal Golf Association, and the Squash Association of Association,” AOA secretary-general Bamang Tago informed in a written reply.
The associations which regularly participate in national-level championships and tournaments, or conduct state- or national-level tournaments and championships, are the Arunachal Amateur Boxing Association, the Arunachal Arm Sport Association, the All Arunachal Pradesh Chess Association, the Arunachal Judo Association, the Table Tennis Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Tennis Association, the Arunachal Tug of War Association, the Kho-Kho Association of Arunachal, the Arunachal Pradesh Shooting Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Police Sports Control Board, the Kickboxing Association of Arunachal, the Arunachal Pradesh Basketball Association, the Arunachal Cycling Association, the
Paragliding Association of Arunachal Pradesh, the Rajiv Gandhi University Sports Board, the Arunachal Kudo Association, the Arunachal Ju-Jitsu Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Skating Association, the Arunachal Mallakhamb Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Curling Association, the Arunachal Hand to Hand Fighting Sport Association, the Arunachal Pradesh Atya Patya Association, and the Arunachal Yogasana Sports Association [newly affiliated].
Further, the overall infrastructure and resources in Arunachal are not as developed as in other states. The decade-long demand for a multipurpose indoor stadium by the AOA remains unfulfilled, which is forcing the state associations to organise competitions at community halls or makeshift infrastructures.
While the athletes are the stars of the events, the coaches are the unsung heroes behind the scene. It can be hard to excel in sport unless the athletes get the right training. Since training is the crucial part of an athlete’s success, appointment of sufficient coaches is the need of the hour.
The authority should also look into the issue of the inactive sports associations and take necessary steps to revive them for the development of games and sports in the state.
