AAP body seeks athletes' views to boost Delhi's sports culture

Aiming to give a boost to sports culture in the national capital, an advisory body of AAP government today met sports persons and experts in the field to discuss ways to improve sports facilities in the city.
The Delhi Dialogue Commission held a meeting with Olympic gold medalist Abhinav Bindra, former tennis player Manisha Malhotra and other sports persons and experts on the issue.
"It was suggested that government should map all the existing sports facilities and infrastructure along with the the authority that owns them. Its school playgrounds should be opened for community children in the evenings and the government should engage with RWAs to open up residential parks for sports," said a senior government official.

The official said the DDC intends to examine every issue in detail in consultation with experts before framing a policy that the government can implement to promote and develop sports in national capital.
"In the meeting, it was also suggested that open spaces be utilised for sports in engagement with the civil society and local people.
"Also, right to play should be considered a legal right of every child at school level. Students' fitness improvement programmes should be launched at school level," the DDC said in a statement.

According to DDC, greater allowances and incentives should be given to promote sports as a career.

"In the meeting, it was suggested that State Sports Bill should be drafted and enacted so as to make district and state sports bodies accountable and transparent in their functioning by adopting good democratic principles and best international practices.
"Such as restricting the age and tenure of their office bearers, voluntary disclosures on sports authorities websites, bringing the, under the ambit of Right to Information Act, ensuring free and fair election, creation of state sports tribunal, athletes commission, ethics commission and election commission, among others," it said.