Kerala also needs a sports university

A suggestion made by Governor R.V. Arlekar while inaugurating the National Sports Day celebrations organised by Kerala University the other day is highly relevant in the present situation. The Governor called for the government to take the initiative to establish a sports university in the state. He said a sports university could help develop the talent and skills of young people and turn them into determined and disciplined individuals. The Governor made the suggestion in the presence of Higher Education Minister Roji M. John and Sports Minister O.J. Janeesh.

Kerala is a state that has produced several leading athletes and coaches in the national sports arena. There was a time when Malayali athletes were present in large numbers in Indian teams in athletics, football and volleyball.

Today, however, Kerala's position in the sports sector has declined. There have been situations where Malayali athletes are not even present in national competitions, let alone winning medals. This is not because the state lacks talented athletes. The failure has been in identifying these talents, providing them with scientific training and turning them into assets for the state. The reduced importance given to sports has also contributed to this decline. Recognising the role of sports in the physical and mental development of students, the sports policy recently passed by Parliament and the National Education Policy have been made complementary to each other. Sports education for the coming generations should focus not only on identifying talented athletes but also on helping young people develop physical and mental maturity. Sports is one of the best ways to prevent young people from being drawn towards wrong paths, including drug abuse. A sports university can help create talented physical education teachers, coaches and sports management professionals.

India, which will host the 2030 Commonwealth Games and is seeking to host the 2036 Olympics and the 2038 Asian Games, is implementing projects worth more than Rs 30,000 crore through Khelo India, keeping these goals in mind. At a time when sports is receiving so much importance, Kerala too must make efforts to avoid falling behind. There have been discussions in the past about upgrading the Lakshmibai National College of Physical Education (LNCPE) in Kariavattom, Thiruvananthapuram, which has produced many sports coaches and physical education teachers for Kerala, into a sports university. However, the proposal never reached its goal. While other states established sports universities, Kerala failed to take advantage of the favourable conditions available to it. This is the shortcoming pointed out by the Governor. The government should be ready to consider his suggestion positively.

We need generations that make sports a part of their daily lives. Creating opportunities for this is the responsibility of today's policymakers.

Kerala must also recognise the reality that there are not enough physical education teachers at the school level, even though sports education is part of the state's curriculum. There are no physical education teachers in primary schools. At the upper-primary level, a specialist teacher post is available only in schools with at least 300 students. Physical education teachers are available only at the high-school level. However, they receive the same salary as lower-primary teachers. When the pre-degree system was separated from colleges, the number of physical education teacher posts in colleges was reduced. But even after a quarter of a century, physical education teachers have not been appointed at the higher-secondary level. Opportunities for employment must also be created for those who graduate from the proposed sports university.