Tajamul Islam, the eight-year-old world kickboxing champion from Bandipora district, has hit out at the Jammu and Kashmir government for not providing proper training facilities and equipment for her and other sportspersons from her district.
In a four-minute video uploaded on Facebook, Islam, who won a gold medal at world kickboxing championship in Italy last year, said it is a matter of shame that the state government has not been able to build a proper indoor stadium in Bandipora for sportspersons which could have enabled them to train throughout the year.
"We do not have mats and a proper (roofed) hall where we can practice. The state government talks big but has not done anything to provide these things to us," she said in the video.
While showing the tin shed used as 'indoor hall', the youngster said there was no heating arrangement inside that would have made training possible during winters.
"The roof is also leaking and rainwater has created potholes in the hall floor. Look at the facilities in Jammu and Delhi. Rain does not affect the sportspersons there and they can practice throughout the year," she said.
Islam appealed to the Centre and state government to construct an indoor stadium in Bandipora and also provide the required equipment for her to continue her training.
Supporting the plea by World Kickboxing Champion Tajamul Islam’s video requesting to Jammu and Kashmir Government to provide better facilities for athletes, former marathon runner Sunita Godara on Thursday said that sports is a state subject and it is their duty to nurture players.
“Sports is a state subject so it is state’s duty to nurture these players. She has shown her talent, she has brought the medal and asking for something and it should be done. I have a doubt because we have structural problems. Government says that they don’t have funds but they have to create funds to create infrastructure which they are not doing,” Godara told.
Hinting towards politicization of sports in the state, Godara said, “Just imagine what government should do to create champion. One young champion is asking you to give the facility. She is very right but where is the time for the government to think about these things. They are politicizing everything. There is so much problem in Jammu and Kashmir, they don’t have any time to think about development and sports.”
