Ensure playground in every village

Dear Editor,
One thing we all hear in general is that boys are less interested in studying than girls. Maybe that’s why boys are more interested in sports. I am of the view that God has instilled in every person one or the other special quality. Being a teacher I have seen many students who are weak in studies but their performance in different sports is commendable. The level of sports has become very high nowadays. Many private schools are equipped with state-of-the-art playgrounds etc. for the students to raise the standard of sports. But if you look at the students studying in village government schools, they have neither good coaches, nor sports equipments, nor good playgrounds. Due to some of these reasons, the skills of many talented players remain suppressed. Now the question arises what can be the solution? We all know from the current situation that it is pointless to have any hope from our Governments anyway, but still the Government has to pay attention to make it sure there is a playground in every village. Does the young generation of the village have a place where they can exercise? Although gymnasiums have been opened in or near every village these days, I don’t think every farmer’s son has enough money to go to the gym for physical exercise. Therefore, the Governments or the sports departments have to ensure existence of playgrounds in every village. If there is a playground in every village, it can have many benefits, such as creating interest in sports among youth, thereby getting rid of the habit of spending time on mobile. Youngsters will stay away from bad company. Living together on the playground will also enhance the harmony of the community. Young players will develop a competitive spirit, which will make them work harder and a better player will emerge.
In view of many other such benefits, Governments should ensure a playground in every village. I will not hesitate to highlight that many times grants are given by various ministers or sports departments for the promotion of sports in the villages but instead of focusing on the development of sports, they went into the pockets of Panch Sarpanchs etc. If every village in Punjab have a playground with all the sports facilities then many talented players can get a chance to move forward and showcase their talent. Therefore, in order to bring the village players to a better place, it is necessary to first build good playgrounds in the villages. Governments, Sports Institutions and Sports Departments should ensure that the funds or other facilities provided by the Government for the development of sports are used only for the development of sports.
Harkirat Kaur Sabhra,
Jammu.