West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday called upon sports minister Indranil Khan to ensure that representatives from the state become part of the national football team.
Addressing a programme to mark National Sports Day in Kolkata, Adhikari referred to the Lionel Messi event at Salt Lake Stadium on December 13 last year, describing the episode as a "big scandal". He said that around 33,000 young football fans were deprived of the opportunity to see the Argentine star despite paying high ticket prices.
"I have started an internal process to give an international feel to football lovers," he said, without elaborating.
Adhikari told Khan to ensure that football players and other sportspersons from the state participate in world tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games and South Asian Federation (SAF) Games.
Suvendu says previous governments ‘politicised’ sports
Claiming that the previous governments in West Bengal had politicised sports, Suvendu Adhikari said sports organisations and federations should not be controlled by politicians.
{{/usCountry}}Claiming that the previous governments in West Bengal had politicised sports, Suvendu Adhikari said sports organisations and federations should not be controlled by politicians.
{{/usCountry}}"No sports organisation and federation should be influenced by and helmed by politicians. MPs and MLAs should not run the show. Why should sports organisations have politicians at the top?" he asked.
He directed sports minister Indranil Khan to “change the system”.
Adhikari said his government had earmarked ₹400 crore for sports in the budget and would spend more.
"We are here for only 110 days," he said, apparently referring to the tenure of his government.
He said the BJP government would introduce indoor stadiums in all 294 Assembly constituencies, with each facility to be named after Sri Aurobindo.
Adhikari said the files of budding sportspersons who received appointment letters and cheques at the event had allegedly remained pending in the Chief Minister's Office for years during the previous government.
"When we see neighbouring Odisha, Jharkhand and Haryana making the country proud with the feats of their athletes and other delegations at international meets, we must also recognise the immense possibilities of our sportspersons and introspect on how to nurture them," he said.
"We have to see where West Bengal lacks. What is the reason behind the fallen motivation of our sporting talents so far?" Adhikari said.
Lamenting the alleged lack of support, inspiration, and initiative from previous governments, he said that appointment letters and financial assistance would motivate young talent to bring laurels to the country at international competitions.