THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Olympian Anju Bobby George will now head the Kerala State Sports Council. Sports Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan has issued orders reconstituting the council, which will have the minister as chairman. Anju will be the new president, while T K Ibrahim Kutty has been made the vice-president. The council’s administrative board has also been set up.
As per the reconstituted council, all the 38 elected representatives of the State Sports Associations will be the members of the council. The Kerala Football Association will be represented by Fisheries Minister K Babu, the Fencing Association by current Sports Council president Padmini Thomas, Kerala Olympic Association by P A Hamsa and Baseball Association by T C Mathew.
Shafi Parambil, Roshy Augustin and P Ubaidulla were included as the representatives of legislators. While Kochi’s first citizen Soumini Jain will represent mayors in the state, Kalpetta municipal chairperson Bindu Jose will be the representative of municipal chairpersons, Kottayam district panchayat president Joshy Philip will be representative of district panchayat presidents, Panamaram block panchayat president P S Dileep Kumar will be the representative of block panchayats and Chelissery grama panchayat president T K Sanil Kumar will be the nominee of panchayat presidents.
Dr P T Jose, Dr V P Sakeer Hussain, Dr Ajit Mohan and Dr Binu George Varghese - Physical Education Directors of Kannur, Calicut, Cusat and Mahatma Gandhi Universities respectively - have been nominated members of the council. In addition to this, Dronacharya awardee Prof Sunny Thomas and M Sundaresan Pillai have also been nominated. Noted athletes and Arjuna awardees Tom Joseph, P R Sreejesh, Preeja Sreedharan and K M Beenamol will be the members of the new council.
As per the reconstituted system, Sports Secretary, Finance Expenditure Secretary, State Police Chief, Directors of Sports, General Education, Collegiate Education, Technical Education, Vocational Higher Secondary Education, Higher Secondary and Health, State Sports Council Secretary and Information and Public Relations Director will be the ex-officio members.
The council’s administrative board has also been formulated with Anju Bobby George, T K Ibrahim Kutty, Sports Secretary, Finance Expenditure Secretary, Sports Director, K Radhakrishnan of the Judo Association, S Najumudeen of the Kabbadi Association, T C Mathew of the Baseball Association, MG University Physical Education Director Dr Binu George Varghese, Arjuna awardees Tom Joseph and Preeja Sreedharan. The Sports Council secretary will be the member-secretary of the board.
The District Sports Councils would be reconstituted following court verdicts in that regard, said the minister.