Poor response reflects lacunae in colleges

DASARI SRINIVASA RAO
Vijayawada

What ails the sporting activity in degree and engineering colleges? Participation in the inter-collegiate tournaments has come down substantially with the institute managements not showing much interest in grooming sportspersons. This is evident from a large number of colleges not appointing Physical Education Directors.

More than 168 degree, engineering, hotel management, pharmacy, B.Ed, physical education and law colleges are affiliated with Krishna University (KRU). But less than 10 colleges are participating in the inter-collegiate sports and games tournaments. Interestingly, even hockey, the national game of India, has no takers.

About five to 10 general degree and professional colleges, participate in the KRU Inter-Collegiate Sports and Games Championships every year. But, the university authorities have not taken any steps to strengthen the Sports department for several years.

The Krishna University Sports Board has been conducting Inter-Collegiate Championships for both men and women in various disciplines for the past few days. However, the participation of the colleges is very poor and even government degree colleges having Physical Education Directors are not showing any interest in participating in the tournaments.

According to sources, only 25 Physical Education Directors are working in a total of 168 government, aided, affiliated, and autonomous colleges. Of them, only five to 10 are showing interest to participate in their college teams in Krishna University Inter-Collegiate Championships, the sources said.

No college participated in the inter-collegiate hockey tournament for men which was conducted at the PB Siddhartha Arts and Science College in Vijayawada. So, the organisers conducted selection trials for the Krishna University hockey men’s team. On other hand, a hockey tournament for women is yet to be conducted and the women players are unhappy over not conducting selection trials.

Meanwhile, only five colleges participated in the inter-collegiate football tournament. Similarly, just five colleges sent their teams for the women’s basketball tournament and less than five colleges took part in the boxing tournament. Yoga, swimming and other events too witnessed poor participation.

Some government degree colleges have no Physical Directors while most of the private degree and professional colleges are not showing interest to appoint PDs, said a senior Physical Education Director. However, Krishna University officials are yet to initiate action against these colleges, he lamented.

Generally, a senior Physical Education Director will be appointed as Krishna University Sports Board Secretary, but, this year, the university authorities appointed a computer professional to the post and this is being seen as one of the reasons for poor participation by colleges in the inter-collegiate tournaments. Earlier, senior Physical Education Directors Dr P Ankamma Chowdary, and Dr N Srinivasa Rao held the post.

On other hand, some colleges have not come forward to conduct inter-collegiate tournaments due to allotment of meager funds by Krishna University. Besides, the lack of Physical Directors in various private colleges showed its effect on the ongoing tournament, said a Physical Director. If the university authorities are not strict in recruiting Physical Director posts and issuing instructions to all colleges that participation in sports and games is compulsory, the inter-collegiate tournaments will continue to receive a poor response.