Our education policy is hostile to sports: Gill

CHANDIGARH - Union Minister for Sports and Youth Welfare M.S. Gill Friday said the Indian education system is not sports-oriented and it does not aim at churning out quality sportspersons.

In my view, our current education is totally hostile to sports. I had also pointed out this fact during my meeting with Kapil Sibal (union human resource development minister) and also suggested him some ways to overhaul it, said Gill, while addressing a gathering here at Panjab University.

If we want to win medals in prestigious tournaments, we have to move our focus towards schools and colleges. All our schools and university federations of sports lie in the B category where funding is the main problem. I am trying my best to change this system, he said.

Gill was here to lay the foundation stone of indoor shooting range at the varsity campus in Sector 14.

I found it very absurd that there is no proper set-up given to sports in our schools and colleges. Kerala has started doing this but no other state is doing it. In America, there are sports scholarship. We also need to offer such incentives to motivate youngsters to join sports, the minister said.

I had also pointed out that no school, whether private or government should be sanctioned by the authorities till it has a sufficient-sized playground. We should offer various concessions and other facilities to those students who pursue sports, Gill said.