India's first National Sports Assembly discusses several proposals

Sports personalities on Saturday discussed several proposals during India's first National Sports Assembly with an aim to revolutionise sports in the country.

Organised by IMT Ghaziabad in association with NGO Sports: A Way of life, the assembly concluded that there is a need to change the way sports is being looked at today. The proposals suggested the steps required to transform sports from grassroots level -- from kindergarten to senior level.

Speaking at the assembly, hockey Olympian Ashok Dhyan Chand said, "We cannot even think of either the welfare of sports or of the sportspersons.

"So far we have not been able to register huge success at the Olympic stage as we have been lagging behind in the medal tally despite a promising potential in several Olympic-related games. We have a huge population and if sincere efforts are being made, then we deserve better than whatever we have been able to achieve."

It was agreed in the assembly that a formal request be made to government agencies to develop at least one Model Sports Village in each state. One more proposal was that the government should get the sports ground free from the clutches of land mafia so that children can play there.

"Time is ripe and it is the right time when sports infrastructure will be improved in the country if the government really wishes to see growth in soft power in terms of our sportspersons playing some active role in civil society," said former India hockey player Zafar Iqbal.

The assembly will be organised thrice a year.