IMPHAL, March 15: State Youths Affairs’ and Sport Minister N Biren Singh said, the state department has been strictly maintain and follow the adopted state Sports policy in order to encourage and uplift the sport persons of the state, while replying the call attention motion jointly raised by the opposition members MLA, O Joy Singh and MLA RK Anand in the house today on the incentive award of the Body Builders of the state.
YAS minister expressing his appreciation to the mover of the calling attention for showing serious concern over the little response from the state government in terms of reception of Arambam Bobby who was recently titled Mr. World in Body Building Championship held at Banarasi from October 27 till November 1 last year, maintained the feat as a real pride for the state. Considering this fact the state YAS department and government is considering for a grand reception as announced earlier in a recently held reception of the Mr World organized by some voluntary organization.
Further clarifying on the reason for the delay of the state function for the reception of Arambam Bobby Mr World, he maintained that it was due to different comments submitted by separate Body Builder Associations to the department in written. However the state government has kept the matter of argument aside and has decided to conduct a state level reception of various sport personalities of the state who took medals in the recently held National Games where the state government will definitely invite the Mr World Arambam Bobby in the grand reception which will be fixed as soon as the ongoing Assembly session is over.
The YAS minister further mentioned that, there is no question of neglecting the sport personalities of the state as the state government has already earmarked 5 % reservation for the sport personalities which is under the state sport policies and further added that Manipur has become one of the top in providing job facilities to meritorious sports persons of the state as compared to other parts of the country.
On the other hand, senior opposition member MLA while moving the call attention motion in the house today mentioned that, it was quite unfortunate for the state government especially the YAS department for its negligence in encouraging meritorious sports person of the state.
MLA, O Joy further mentioned that, the YAS minister had failed to keep his promise to organize a grand reception for Arambam Bobby as the YAS minister during a recent reception ceremony of the Mr World organized by some local organizations had assured to organize a state level reception for A Bobby. He further maintained that such failure of the government to commit to their own assurances has amounted to discouragement of the meritous sports persons of the state who have brought laurels to the state.
He further deliberated that even though the YAS department seem to encourage medalist of individual events, it has totally neglected players of group events and players of events like body builder etc and added that the government need to amend the existing sports policies so that all players are treated equally by the state government and the YAS department to avoid the sense of discrimination amongst the various sports personalities of the state.
Later MLA, RK Anand said that such irregularities and disparities existing in the state YAS department need to be corrected first before implementing the state sports policies, and the state government need to pay special attentions to the welfare of the sport persons of the state by maintaining proper infrastructures, he added.
