Shimla 16 Sep 2018.16th September 2018
The State Youth Services and Sports department is playing an important role in connecting youth with nation building, developmental and social activities besides providing better sports facilities and technical training to players of the state. Realising the ever increasing importance of this department, that state government has made a provision of Rs. 4542.27 lakhs for the department in the current financial year, which was only Rs. 3 lakh in 1982-83. The State government is endeavouring that Himachal Pradesh illuminates on the international sports map. In the last few years, about 4000 players of the state have left their mark in international and national level sports competitions. In the Asian Games recently held at Jakarta in Indonesia, the players of Himachal Pradesh won two medals, which is a matter if great pride to the state.
District Training Centres have been set up in all the districts, for the purpose of promoting the games at a large scale, which are being operated under the supervision of district youth service and sports officers, trained trainers, junior trainers and junior contracted trainers. 10 District Youth Services and Sports Officers and 63 Trainers of various sports are providing their services in the department.
Professional training courses are being organized for the youth. The youth organisations are being honoured with prizes for encouraging talented youth as well as giving grants-in-aid to them for running youth activities.
The state youth board provides grant to district youth boards for organizing cultural, sports, social and adventure activities for Yuvak Mandals and voluntary organisations. In the year 2018-19, the state youth board has been provided one crore rupees as grants-in-aid.
Nodal clubs have been set up in all 78 development blocks of the state. In order to provide cultural and sporting material, financial assistance up to Rs. 35,000 is provided to each nodal club.
Under the computer training scheme, youths are being provided one year training in computer so that they can become self-reliant. Financial assistance is also being provided to the youth under the National Service Scheme.
The state government has fixed three percent sports quota to provide employment to the outstanding players of the State. So far, 500 players have been provided employment under the scheme.
The Himachal Pradesh Sports Council is making best efforts to promoting sports related activities in the State. A provision of Rs. 280 lakhs has been made for organizing various activities of the Council during this fiscal. To encourage the specially-abled players in the state, the department organizes sports competitions at district and state levels.
The department has given special attention for development of sports infrastructure in the state. Indoor stadiums have been constructed at Una, Bilaspur, Shimla, Dharamshala, and Rohru while the facility of outdoor stadium has been provided at Saraswatinagar, Rohru, Dulehad (Una), Rehan (Kangra), Bilaspur and Kalpa (Kinnaur). The facility of 400 metre synthetic athletic track has been made available at Hamirpur and Dharamshala degree colleges while volleyball synthetic trecks in Shimla, Una, Dharamshala and astro turf hockey field at Una.
Indoor Badminton Hova (synthetic) court facility is available in Shimla, Mandi, Una and Bilasupur. Apart from this, multi-gym facilities are available in eight district headquarters of the state. Regular training is being given to 70 students in wrestling, athletics, judo and volleyball in sports hostel Una and to equal number of students in hockey, handball, athletics and kabaddi at sports hostel Bilaspur. The sports hostel has also been constructed at Duttnagar in district Shimla.
At Panchayat level, the department has created 57 multi-purpose outdoor and around 3200 small playgrounds. Indira Gandhi State Sports Complex, Shimla is providing facilities for Badminton, Multi-gym, Volleyball, Judo, Boxing, Karate, Taekwondo and Table Tennis. The State government has so far awarded cash prizes of about Rs 3.94 crore to 1554 outstanding players.