Monday Musing
[Karyir Riba]
The recently held Inter-School District Sports Fest in Lower Dibang Valley (LDV) felt like a breath of fresh air and a much needed activity for the students of the district.
The sports fest had 13 different athletic events for students 14 years of age and below, and was a first of its kind to have ever been conducted in LDV. For both boys and girls, the event witnessed a good number of participation from 28 different schools, both private as well as government-run, from across the district, summing up to over 1,200 participating children.
For convenience of all, the initial selection process of the sports fest was conducted in two phases – first two days in Dambuk for the children of Dambuk subdivision, and two more days in Roing. The finals were then played in Roing at the Kera Aa Jubilee Ground.
The children that participated were highly enthusiastic. They were extremely competitive, but at the same time, were seen cheering for their opponents. Sportsmanship attitude indeed comes from playing games and sports.
Apart from competing in different athletics, this sports fest also provided the children a common ground where they could meet and interact with each other, which otherwise might not have been possible. There aren’t many occasions that bring children from different schools together, that too in such a big number.
All in all, the event provided a great learning experience to the students while also promoting games and sports amongst the children of the district.
As wonderful as it sounds, the process of making this happen was a task in itself. After the Lower Dibang Valley Olympic Association (LDVOA) had decided to conduct the inter-school sports competition, the first hurdle they had to overcome in order to materialise their brainchild was to arrange for the required funds, especially keeping in mind the government schools.
Given that the government-run schools would not have additional funds to bear the cost of participating in the event, the LDVOA had to ensure that every kind of expense was taken care of for such schools. Although it was a challenge, the LDVOA took care of it by providing vehicles to carry government school students located at a distance from Roing. They also provided lunch to all the participants and accompanying teachers in all days of the selection process, plus other essentials such as water, glucose, bibs and such.
The LDVOA informed that fund was generously provided by Roing MLA Mutchu Mithi and Dambuk MLA Puinnyo Apum, who highly appreciated and supported the initiative. Many business owners and community leaders also sponsored the event in one way or another, displaying their appreciation and support for the sporting event.
The inter-school sports fest received a great response and positive feedback from all the schools, as well as stakeholders. The LDVOA says that, moving on, the event will be conducted every year, and more games and sports will be added in the coming editions.
It will be interesting to see what the next edition of the sports fest will have in store for the children of LDV. Hope more schools will come forward to participate in the event because, after all, it is for the children to benefit from. Participating in such events will teach them how to interact with their peers and learn from each other. It will not only boost their confidence, but will also help them to identify their talents in the field of sports.
The government-run schools should also be provided with funds for such extra curricular activities. After all, all study and no play will make Jack a dull boy.
