Special sports schools for MCD students soon

Swimming pools and gymnasium arenas may soon become a reality in schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

Swimming pools and gymnasium arenas may soon become a reality in schools run by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

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The civic body's education committee has drafted a proposal to build specialised 'sports schools' in the city, which will have swimming pools, tennis courts and playgrounds for children. As part of the pilot project, one school will be chosen. Based on its success, it will be extended to more schools.

According to the proposal, the corporation will seek help from the Sports Authority of India (SAI) to provide infrastructure for the project aimed at preparing children for a career in sports.

Chairman of MCD's education committee Mahendra Nagpal said the plan would work because SAI had been looking for ways to promote sports, but did not have enough land for the infrastructure.

“We have more than 1,600 schools and some of them are on big campuses, which have enough space to construct sports facilities. Students, who excel in sports, can be sent to a special sports school. We would also give them stipends,” he said.

He added that the civic body needed to make an effort towards constructing special sports schools as children coming to MCD schools hailed from financially weaker families and could not pursue sports on their own.

The proposal is part of the education committee's budget for 2012-13 and will be put into practice once it is approved. MCD has 1,639 primary schools, in which around 10 lakh children study. It already provides physical training classes to children. But for the past few years, the civic body has been promoting sports. According to one of its schemes, children who are found to be good in sports are given fund for tracksuits.

In the budget proposals, apart from making sportsmen out of children, MCD has also decided to extend health insurance policy to teachers. Rs 50 lakh has been reserved for it.