Punjab: Bathinda government sports school set for a fresh innings

Government has approved to revamp school as ‘Centre of Excellence for Sports’ and is brought directly under the state sports department, the school has struggled for years with staffing

The Punjab government has approved a major restructuring of the Government Sports Senior Secondary School at Bathinda’s Ghudda village, aimed at reviving the rural sports institute by bringing it directly under the state’s sports department and upgrading it into a “Centre of Excellence for Sports” (CES).

The school has sanctioned posts for seven teachers and 14 coaches, officials said, only five teachers and seven coaches were currently available. (Sanjeev Kumar/HT)

Established in 2010 by the then SAD-BJP government to nurture rural sports talent, the school has for years struggled with staffing, funding and maintenance.

Bathinda deputy commissioner Rajesh Dhiman said so far the sports department had no direct role in running the institute, which caters to students from Classes 6 to 12.

“Now, the school will work under the Punjab State Institute of Sports with adequate resources. The upgrade will impart a new lease of life as the state government has approved integrating the sports and education departments to provide training and share academic workload,” said Dhiman, who had been pursuing the project to improve the school.

Under the restructured model, Dhiman said, the sports department will take the lead in sports training, with its coaches working directly with students, while the education department will continue to handle the academic component.

Trials for admission to the residential institute in five disciplines—athletics, hockey, wrestling, weightlifting and football—will begin on August 24, officials said on Wednesday. The first phase will focus on budding female players in the under-17 and under-19 age groups.

Officials said under the earlier arrangement, the education department managed the institute, and coaches and faculty were hired on contract.

While the school has sanctioned posts for seven teachers and 14 coaches, officials said, only five teachers and seven coaches were currently available, with the principal also serving on deputation from the education department.

A brainchild of former chief minister Parkash Singh Badal, the one-of-its-kind institute was developed as a pilot to promote sports talent, admitting students for training in 11 indoor and outdoor sports.

It was initially run by a local committee headed ex officio by the Bathinda deputy commissioner.

Over the years, however, the institute faced financial strain, including difficulties in making timely payments to staff and meeting the expenses of hostel maintenance, students’ diet and sports infrastructure.

₹3-crore renovation work underway

When the school was launched by the then SAD-BJP government in 2010, a fixed deposit of ₹15 crore was created for it. This FD provides a quarterly interest payout of around ₹30 lakh, which, education department officials say, was insufficient to meet its expenses.

The government has, however, put the school on a revival path. Renovation work started last year after the school received ₹3 crore from the state government, while another ₹2 crore was mobilised through corporate social responsibility (CSR) with the facilitation of the district administration for hostel maintenance and sports infrastructure.

In-charge of the sports facility Narinder Singh said renovation of the swimming pool was under way and admissions for water sports could be introduced from the next academic session. “We expect state authorities to add five more games in the next phase,” Singh said.