MUMBAI: An expert committee has recommended the creation of a University Sports Federation as a long-term measure and the immediate appointment of a National university sports steering committee as part of reforms aimed at revamping university level sports in the country.
The eight-member committee was appointed by the Union Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs in March 2017 to prepare a Comprehensive National University Sports Tournament and Development Framework. It submitted its report to the ministry this month. According to a Hindu report that has accessed the recommendations, the report suggests that the number of disciplines in which competitions are conducted at the University level be brought down from 57 to 44 with a focus on the Olympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.
The committee has also recommended that nine disciplines — athletics, archery, badminton, boxing, hockey, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling — be treated as high priority.
It calls for a complete overhaul of the competition system at university level, introduction of special league tournaments, cash awards, scholarships and grace marks, digitisation of the sports data repository and the development of the Gwalior based Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education (LNIPE) as a mother institute for university sports.
Among other recommendations, the committee has also sought the immediate implementation of the ‘Khelo India’ project of the Union Sports Ministry, which oversees the National University Games.
The report, prepared after extensive discussions with all stakeholders over the last few months, has come down heavily on the current system of sports management at the national level, it points out that India's quest for Olympic medals can be realised with an increased investment in sports at the university level.
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