CANNANORE KERALA
Former national coach and Olympian P.K Banerjee has lamented the lack of interest on part of administrations both at the Center and states in promoting sports culture
Participating in a meet-the press program here last week Banerjee said the country’s sports was sailing like a rudderless ship with infrastructure woefully inadequate and in misguided directions. However there was plenty of unbridled talent that could be properly nurtured and shaped to glory.
Referring to Sachin Tendulkar the latest cricket sensation of the country Banerjee said the school boy was being pampered like anything and this might prove counterproductive.
Surcharged with emotion Banerjee regretted that the sense of nationalism has been given a go by today’s stars in sports and materialism and refusal to take up hard workouts have become the order of the day.
Commenting on the soccer scene of the country he said none of the present set of players could match the yesteryear super-stars such as Chuni Goswamy Balaram and Jarnail Singh. The attitudes of players have changed 2 lot from the past when there were no pots to hunt
While the other countries were improving the game scientifically the game here was declining he said. However he would not give up his optimism for a better future and patted the Tata Soccer Academy for its efforts in grooming 25 of the most outstanding sub-juniors of the country who have now become good players. Plenty would be heard of them in the future he added.
Article extracted from this publication >> January 18, 1991
