Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh today said the party will chalk out a "long-term sports policy" to promote athletes with "exceptional talent" for medal-winning performances in international events, including the Olympics, after it returns to power in the state in 2017.
"We will not only reward the athletes after they win the medals but will also provide them with the best of facilities beforehand so that they win them," he told a group of sportspersons who met him here at a Congress function to mark the National Sports Day.
"Olympian expectations should be matched with Olympian support and facilities," Amarinder said, adding that it was "wrong and unjustified" to expect athletes to win medals if they are not given the required facilities.
He said instead of waiting for them to win medals of their own and announcing rewards for them afterwards, the athletes should be "encouraged and supported" during their training.
Amarinder said sports promotion will be an important part of his party's manifesto for the upcoming Assembly election in Punjab.
In this connection, he said the Punjabi youth have a "special" potential which needs to be utilised.
"However, with the Badals at the helm, our potential athletes have been trapped in drugs and we do not even have enough youth who qualify for recruitment in the armed forces, not to speak about Olympic performances," the state Congress chief said, referring to the "scourge of drugs promoted and patronised by the (Parkash Singh) Badal government which has destroyed an entire generation".
Amarinder said while the details of the policy will be included in the party manifesto, the focus will be on sports which can fetch "more medals".
He pointed out that while a sport like hockey can fetch only two medals (men and women) from the Olympics, there is a lot of scope in athletics and swimming and expressed hope that "our people" had the potential to excel.
The former Punjab chief minister said while it was good to "encourage, honour and reward" Olympic medallists, it should actually come before the events.
"If we encourage our athletes before they win the medals and provide them with the best of facilities, they will perform better and win them and not the other way round," he said, adding, "Instead of waiting for them to win the medals before we announce the rewards and incentives to them, we should help and prepare them in advance.
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