BENGALURU: Just three days after assuming the sports minister’s office in September last year, Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore had made a surprise visit to the JN Stadium in New Delhi ahead of the U-17 World Cup. Other than everything else, there was a message in that visit. The Olympic medal winner was keen on changing the way sports is handled in India.
Rathore has always stressed on the need to provide best facilities to athletes. On Thursday, the 2004 Olympic silver medallist shooter visited Sports Authority of India, Bengaluru, to inspect facilities. With the Commonwealth Games coming up, the men’s and women’s hockey teams are preparing at the venue, besides other athletes.
Rathore was not impressed by the condition of swimming pool area and the synthetic athletics track. The adhesive rubber on the starting block in the pool was a disappointment. The synthetic track looked worn out despite being just two year-old, with patches here and there.
“I had been hearing about the bad quality of work that is happening on the synthetic athletics track and the swimming pool. Now, I have seen it myself. It needs a lot of improvement. There is very poor quality of workmanship, which has gone into the pool. The surface of the synthetic athletics track is supposed to be brand new, with a life of seven years. It is only two years and it has already worn out and they have put patches,” Rathore said. He has promised an inquiry.
“The agencies that have been asked to do the work will be spoken to. I am going to order an inquiry into both. The money belongs to the tax-payers. Each penny has to be accounted for and we have to get the best value for it. I know that there are better synthetic tracks and swimming pools being laid out for lesser than what we have invested here. This is very distressing for me. It is saddening.”
Rathore went to the training areas of different sports, including shooting, volleyball, hockey, met players and was asking athletes, coaches and team officials about how things can be improved. He was open to changes, if that helps the development of the players and helps India grow as a sporting country.
“SAI Bangalore can be one of the best centres. The national volleyball team is here. The hockey team asked for better quality of food, and I have instructed the head of SAI. We will pay more for the cooks. I will increase the money but there has to be good quality. We can’t be pound foolish and penny wise. There are many things to be done. I will ensure that all this work gets going,” said Rathore.