As many as 107 school children from the national capital are set to leave for Australia for an international sports competition scheduled from November 21 to 29 at Adelaide, officials said today.
Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia today met the students at Chhatrasal Stadium in northwest Delhi where he said Delhi Government was going to spend Rs 2.25 lakh on each student who has been selected for the international meet.
Earlier, the expenditure per student for this competition was set at Rs 1 lakh.
"The expenditure on the school children who are good at sports are tax-payer's money being spent for an honest purpose," Sisodia said, adding that the government is drafting a proposal for a sports university in Delhi.
"Delhi should have a sports university, from which degree and diploma certificates could be issued to children and youths who dedicate several years in the pursuit of sports. We have seen many who have been deprived of opportunities because they did not have formal degrees and diplomas in sports," said the deputy CM.
The government is yet to seek opinion from experts and sport personalities in this regard, said Sisodia, adding that sports personalities across the nation should come forward and take charge of sports bodies to prevent them from getting politicised.
The sports competition, in which school students from several nations will participate, has been organised by the International School Sports Federation and students there would compete in sports including -- Baseball, basketball, soccer, table tennis, softball, swimming and diving, said a senior government official.
The advertisements regarding the competition was published in leading dailies by the Delhi government on July 2 and 13, followed by the selection trials conducted on July 20 and 27, said the official, adding that candidates were chosen from both private and state-run schools.
