THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Till now, the CBSE and ICSE students who won laurels in their respective state and national- level sports competitions were denied weightage in admission to the various higher-level courses in the state. The scenario is soon set to change with the Kerala State Sports Council(KSSC) urging the state government to consider the sporting laurels won by National Board students on a par with those of state syllabus students and to give them equal weightage.
As a preliminary step, the KSSC has decided to conduct a state-level athletics meet for students of unaided schools affiliated to the CBSE and the ICSE, in addition to Navodaya and Kendriya Vidyalaya Schools.
“The upcoming athletics meet is a first step towards realising the objective of bringing all students in the state on an even keel. We are in discussions with the government to accord equal weightage to the CBSE and ICSE students who participate in such events,” Sports Council president T P Dasan told Express.
During a recent meeting with representatives of various school managements convened by the KSSC , it was decided an athletics meet will be organised during the current academic year. From the next academic year, all sporting disciplines will be included and the event will be conducted as a fully-fledged sports meet.
“This has been a long-pending demand of the schools affiliated to the National Boards. It will be a big boost to the numerous sporting talents who have been denied recognition in the past,” said Indira Rajan, general secretary, Kerala CBSE School Managements’ Association.
The state-level athletics meet organising committee will have Dasan as chairman and Indira Rajan as general convener. State Athletics Association secretary Babu P I will be the co-coordinator. Similar committees will also be set up at the district- level. The Collectors of the respective districts will be the chairmen.
The District Sports Council(DSC) presidents will be the co-coordinators. The district-level competitions will be conducted before January 15. Students who secure the first and second prizes alone will be considered for the state-level meet.
The state-level competitions are tentatively slated for January 23 and 24 in Thiruvananthapuram. Competitions will be held in disciplines such as 100m, 200m, 400 m, 800 m, 1,500 m, 3,000 m race, 4x100 m relay and 4x400 m relay, shot put, high jump and long jump.