After the Northlines published an exclusive news report –“Jammu Kashmir doesn’t bother for its son of soil Coach of Olympic winner Mirabhai Chanu”– there have been overwhelming response over social media and by calls expressing shock over the indifference shown by the UT Administration and its public men. While expressing their happiness over the achievement of the son of soil coach, they accused the Administration and politicians alike of disrespecting the significant achievement of Vijay Sharma, the man behind the achievements of Mirabai Channu.
Jammu Kashmir does not have a good record to reckon at national level as the politics has been more deep rooted in our psyche than sports and other faculties of human life. In the last few years, the J&K Government has constantly come under criticism for neglecting the sports and sports persons in the state.
In the last many years, various Governments in this state have been constantly thrusting its political scheming and come under criticism for neglecting the sports and sports persons in the state.
Going deep into it there would be huge pile up of maladies, malfunctioning, complaints, grievances of neglect and incidents of discrimination on individual and collective group basis spread almost to all type of games and athletics.
This time reflect the neglect and in-sensitiveness of the highest order on the part of J&K Sports Council, Sports Bodies and Administrative Department of Sports that failed to apprise the Lieutenants Governor and his team of Advisors to take note of great achievement of a son of soil national level Weight Lifting Coach, Vijay Sharma who trained the India’s first medal winner in Tokyo Olympics, Mirabai Chanu.
Weightlifter Mirabai Chanu last Saturday scripted history after she opened the account of India’s medal tally by winning a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Mirabai Chanu bagged the silver medal in the Women’s 49 kg category.
There have been countrywide celebrations for both Medal Winner Chanu and her Chief Couch Vijay Sharma, here at Jammu while here at Vijay Sharma’s home district, nobody bothered to say a word of appreciation not to talk of praise or celebrations. Sharma, who hails from Akhnoor in Jammu District has been conferred country’s prestigious Dronacharya Award and his national stature in Weightlifting must be known to the sports fraternity and those controlling the J&K’s sports arena for their prestige, pleasure, privileges and pelf. The most unfortunate part is that none from sports or political spheres felt basic courtesy to acknowledge the rarest achievement of International level for a Jammuite who made our state proud.
Vijay Sharma may not need any admiration from J&K as he has been showered ample accolades and praises nationwide but a word of appreciation and congratulation from his own people would have made a great difference for such outstanding sports personality and of course a demoralizing factor for local budding sports persons of Jammu Kashmir.
Meanwhile, the Indian Olympics Association (IOA) has announced a cash reward for medal-winning athletes and their coaches at the Tokyo Olympics and Vijay Sharma as a morale booster.
Sharma has a grudge that he had openly expressed his desire to open an academy of weightlifting in J&K to train the youth of this UT and build in them the confidence to compete and excel in the games and competition at the highest level. He said he needed official support as he does not have enough resources to do this but the J&K Sports Council not responded positively on this matter. He expressed confidence that the youth of J&K, if provided proper coaching, motivation and guidance, would definitely bring laurels to J&K.
The J&K Sports Council that remained as the rehabilitation center for political workers and loyalists should now shun their hang-over of pompous and ostentatious mindset.
