The title of this write-up seems to be contrary to what is being broadcast today about the government providing state of the art facilities to the sportspersons of the UT especially those living in and around Jammu city.
The matter of fact is that no doubt the government has taken many out of the box steps to improve the sports infrastructure in the region along with deputing the professionals to provide world class training but unfortunately the number of young and aspiring players who utilize these facilities is very limited because visiting the stadiums and playgrounds meant for such training modules is not possible for all due to several factors including the financial constraints.
There was a time, when children and youth in the Temple City used to play cricket and other games in the parks and playgrounds situated in the vicinity of their localities without any restriction and using the very basic edifice like making wickets by collecting bricks from the nearby construction sites or drawing the same on the walls of the parks or making goal posts by placing their shoes but these facilities have gradually become out of reach for many as the growing trend has emerged where most of the parks are developed by concerned government agencies, and playgrounds have been declared out of bound for children not enrolled in government training modules or associated with different sports councils.
It is difficult to say that the inception of professionalism in sports has benefited more or it has snatched away the opportunity from those having limited resources as many find themselves deprived of essential opportunities to grow, learn, and stay healthy. Earlier, public parks and playgrounds in Jammu offered an environment for children to play games like cricket, football, and badminton, or simply run and engage in physical activity with their peers. It was these grounds which gave a chance to some children to live with their sporting passion and reach higher levels, participating in district, state, and national competitions. Sadly, the parks that once allowed unrestricted access for recreational activities are now transformed or restricted and the authorities have placed most of the playgrounds under the control of government sports bodies, permitting only those children enrolled in formal sports programmes to use the facilities.
Sadly, for children who are not enrolled in government-run sports training programmes, the dream of pursuing a career in sports or representing the UT at higher levels is increasingly becoming out of reach.
It is necessary for the government to fill this gap and provide ample space to marginalized sections of society to send their children to participate in sports at the nearby facilities because this is vital for giving wings to local talent with limited resources.
