E-Paper
Good enough for FIFA but not for CWG
Crores of rupees are being spent on the Commonwealth Games but the world-famous sports industry of Jalandhar is not among the beneficiaries.
Crores of rupees are being spent on the Commonwealth Games but the world-famous sports industry of Jalandhar is not among the beneficiaries.
Sport products producers are upset they have not benefited from an event in their own country. They claim that while they even got orders for the FIFA World Cup held in South Africa, they have not received many orders for the Commonwealth Games.
The coordinator of the Sports Industry Union, Vijay Dheer, said, "It is such a huge extravaganza but the Jalandhar industry has not benefited from it because products are being imported from abroad, while domestic producers are being neglected."
He said that they have received some product orders for hockey, the quantum is negligible.
"The sports industry will not benefit from it. The Jalandhar sports industry had great hopes from these games but they have proved to be worthless," he said.
"Had the organisers of the games informed us about the quality and the quantity of the products that they are importing or have already imported, then probably we would have supplied it," Dheer added.
Dheer said that it has been known for years that the Games will be organised here. As such, he argued that sports products producers could have been consulted for orders. The industry would have gained from it and it would have also led to more employment opportunities.
Money also would not have gone outside India. He said the government should put up a sports products exhibition near the Games Village to encourage the sport industry of the country so that foreign players can appreciate it.
