‘Patangbazi is big in my constituency’

Sport is the one sphere of life where public opinion is at its most earnest and passionate. Strange, then, that sport rarely finds a mention...

Sport is the one sphere of life where public opinion is at its most earnest and passionate. Strange, then, that sport rarely finds a mention in campaign speeches — despite the sheer number of high-level sports-related people at the hustings. Too trivial? Too frivolous? For most candidates, perhaps, but MANISH KUMAR caught up with two who hold high positions in the Indian sports firmament. This is what they had to say

VIJAY KUMAR GOEL
SPORTS MINISTER

• There were hardly any references to developing sports during your campaign

I mentioned my achievement as sports minister in my campaign. India’s

medal haul increased at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Vajpayeeji had sent me to Pakistan and we won the cricket series. I have also visited many centres where SAI infrastructure is coming up to ensure speedy progress.

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• Your previous constituency (Chandni Chowk) and current one (Sadar) are traditionally fond of sports. Surely both could have produced plenty of talent during your tenure as Sports Minister?

In Chandni Chowk people are fond of playing carrom and patangbazi. It’s not a fair question to ask. Our sportspersons come from villages and north-east part of the country.

• Anju George recently complained that you and Vikram Verma had promised to improve the training facilities for the Olympics but they still haven’t improved

I had asked her what facilities she wanted and whatever she told me I passed it on to my officers to look into. It’s wrong to say that that I forgot to keep my promise. Koi bhi aadmi nahi bhulta hai (nobody has forgotten).

V K MALHOTRA
ALL INDIA SPORTS COUNCIL CHIEF

• Sports related issues hardly figured in your campaign speeches

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Time is so short but my lifesketch which is distributed through pamphlets to the people in my constituency has a paragraph on my sports related activities…whenever I have gone as a chef de mission with the Indian contingent.

• As the sitting MP in South Delhi, you can hardly boast of creating infrastructure for sports in the area

No. That’s not the correct picture. I have spent money from my MP fund to build many gymnasiums in South Delhi. I must have built 30 to 40 gymns in the last five years.

• There are no sports facilities in South Delhi other than the Nehru stadium which is used for training top athletes

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I have built around 40 skating rinks, a swimming pool in Munirka and a stadium is under construction in Subhash Nagar. Building skating rinks is not expensive – each would cost between Rs 4000 to 5000.