The Goan sports scene is facing a threat fromwithin. Sports lovers and sportspersons are worried that progress might sufferif the Government does not put a check on the menace of parallel sports bodies. It is a trickysituation indeed with no solution in sight.
The Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) is the parentbody for state sports associations. There are 46 registered associations underthe SAG. The government-funded SAG provides infrastructure, coaching support andgrants for its affiliated sports bodies and thereby develop various sports inthe state. Most of Goa's sportspersons are from the student community and whenthey participate in various sports competitionsthrough the affiliated associations, they benefit from the state sports policy.
However, a rising number of parallel sportsassociations, which are unrecognised by the SAG, are now causing a concern forthe sports fraternity. This threat from within “ such associations are normally formed bydisgruntled members of the original bodies “ can misguide the upcomingsportspersons. Sadly, the SAG is helpless as it cannot do anything to stop themushrooming of parallel sports associations.
As of now, there are at least five parallelsports associations functioning in the state. Taekwondo, hockey, bodybuilding,throw-ball and kho-kho have more than one association, while Goa BasketballAssociation is as good as defunct since they have failed to follow theprocedure laid down by SAG for its registered bodies.
The unrecognised or unaffiliated sports bodiesdo not get any support from the SAG. That means, the sportspersons have toundergo training or coaching under private coaches arranged by these associations.Such coaches, who may not even have the necessary technical and tacticalqualification to provide coaching in the first place, charge massive fees andhence put parents under a financialload. The saddest part of this exercise, is that the young sportspersons learnwrong techniques, which proves detrimental to their plan of making a sportscareer. In addition, they do not even qualify for the provisions of the statesports policy.
