THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In an ambitious leap to broaden the state’s sports aspirations, the sports department is preparing to launch a dedicated research and planning wing. Department officials claim that the wing – aimed at improving deployment of resources and enhancing provision of sports facilities – is the first-of-its-kind initiative taken up by the sports department of any state. According to top officials with the department, the wing will explore areas to focus on as future avenues. A proposal for the same has already been sent to the government, which the authorities expect to be greenlit in the coming days.
Terming this to be a permanent mechanism to increase the overall efficacy of the department, a higher official mentioned that another key aim of the project will be to maintain proper sports-related data in the state. “Even though there are multiple tournaments taking place across the state, a comprehensive database on our sports talents is not available. Once the new wing is set up, we will have a clear picture of this, which will then be used to enhance Kerala’s contribution to the 2036 Olympics,” he said.
Pointing out that the state is lagging behind in preparing its talent to compete in the modern sports atmosphere, another top official said that the research wing will be helpful in identifying the best practices that are being adopted globally and analysing which can be used in the state to elevate the skill of our sportspersons. “At present, we set up a temporary committee to analyse the pros and cons of every new decision, which often leads to administrative delays,” the official said.