CHENNAI: Sports, in Indian schools, have always been classified under the extra-curricular section. That may all be about to change with the central government set to bring sports under the CBSE curriculum, a move that may happen as early as next year.
Speaking at the inauguration of the NPV Ramaswamy Udayar Hockey Centre at the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said sports will become part of the curriculum in schools across the country. “Under the new education policy, sports will become part of education,” he said. “Earlier, sports was treated as an extra-curricular activity. This has been changed. Now sports will carry a substantial part of the marking system to determine the achievement of the student.”
Later, speaking on the sidelines, he went further into the development and added that major meetings had already taken place on incorporating sports into the syllabus.
“It (the new syllabus) is being prepared. I’m in touch with the education department. I’m in touch with HRD (ministry). I have met the central education advisory committee. Now it is under preparation. From the next academic session, we’ll try to implement it but it will depend on the readiness of the HRD ministry. The policy has been accepted. How to implement, when to start, this will depend on the preparation. But we are very clear. This government is giving sports the highest priority — that is how India will become a sporting powerhouse in the future.”
Touching upon the upcoming Olympics, Rijiju reiterated that he expected India to come back with a best-ever haul from Tokyo. But the focus, he added, was on the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “By 2028, India has to be in the top 10, that’s the target,” he said. “2020 is just 10 months away. We will try to give our best-ever performance. It takes years for a player to become a champion. So we will go to the Tokyo Olympics with full preparation but with existing talents. We have decided to give the best possible support system, including creating an India House pavilion in Tokyo.
“At the 2024 Olympics, we will definitely cross double digits. And in 2028, we are eyeing top 10. That is why we are creating a situation where we will identify talents at a young age.”
Rijiju said that this emphasis on the 2028 Games had led the government to carry out extensive scouting of young talent, under the Khelo India programme. “Under Khelo India, we will enlarge the scope of scouting of talent across the country. We have 14,000 young athletes who have been identified and sent to the various training centres under the Khelo India scheme and the Sports Authority of India scheme.”
A number of Olympians in hockey from Tamil Nadu were felicitated by the minister at the event. Among those that Rijiju felicitated were Muneer Seth, PB Govinda, Mohammed Riaz, S Thirumal Valavan and Adam Sinclair. Olympian V Baskaran gave the introductory address.