The need for quality sports infrastructure is reiterated time and again in Kerala. The idea is rekindled every time Malayali sportspersons prepare for international events, especially now as the Olympics is set to begin in Tokyo on July 23.
Yet, it is under such circumstances that something as unacceptable as making future sports stars toil in deplorable conditions has come to light from the hilly district of Wayanad.
On Thursday morning, notwithstanding heavy downpour, a bunch of school children in the north Kerala district were made to attend a sports selection trial in the open.
Visuals accessed by Onmanorama show scores of children standing in heavy rain and taking turns to sprint across a waterlogged ground of the SKMJ Higher Secondary School in Kalpetta.
District Sports Council President Madhu said that they had no choice but to conduct the trials under the circumstances. "The (north) zonal trials for football, volleyball and athletics are scheduled for July 22 in Kozhikode. We have to shortlist players for that and there is little time left," Madhu told Onmanorama.
According to the official, the district that has produced a host of top sportspersons, including Indian women's basketball team captain Jeena PS, does not have an indoor stadium. The construction of one, at Kalpetta, reportedly at a cost of Rs 36 crore is yet to be completed.
Kerala State Sports Council's technical officer (in-charge), Shaji Mohammad played down the incident saying the situation is "similar in most districts" because of the rains.
“Only simple drills were held on the ground. It is nothing big," he said.
A majority of the participants were accompanied by their parents and two of them told Onmanorama that they could not react out of fear. "It is true that I felt sad seeing my boy attend the trials in that rain, but we didn't want to question the authorities because they might then deny our children a chance," said the father of a 11th standard student who took part in football trials.
Another parent had a more balanced view of the incident. "There were hundreds of children in various age categories and the authorities had to finish the trials on time so we can't blame them fully," said the father of a volleyball player.
