Ever imagined a school sports meet being conducted on the lines of the Olympics?
Well, it's happening! The annual mega sporting event being organised by Kerala's Department of General Education is underway in Ernakulam district with 24,000 young athletes competing in 39 sports events at 17 venues.
What makes the Kerala School Sports Meet even more special is the category called Inclusive Sports aimed at bringing special needs students into the mainstream. Another aspect of the sports meet is the participation of students studying in eight schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Organising and managing such a massive event, which if one goes by the scale is even bigger than the Olympics, has got everyone looking at those working behind the scenes in awe.
"Just look at the magnitude," says an official with the General Education department. However, everything had been prepared and planned with precision with the help of the huge workforce that the department has, he adds.
The Minister for General Education V Sivankutty emphasised to The New Indian Express that "This event has truly transformed the landscape of school sports in our state. What makes this year's Olympics model sports meet truly special is the unwavering commitment to inclusivity. By organizing this event like a miniature Olympics, we've set a powerful example for the world. We've shown that every child, regardless of their abilities, deserves the opportunity to participate and excel."
He adds, "The Department of General Education has worked tirelessly to ensure that no child is left behind. We've provided the necessary resources, training, and support to nurture young talent. The sight of children with diverse abilities, competing in a meet, fills my heart with hope."
The minister points out that November 4 will forever be etched in his memory as a day of immense pride and joy. "Witnessing the sheer joy and determination on the faces of our young athletes was truly inspiring. We have not only brought these children into the mainstream but also empowered them to reach their full potential," he says.
As to what prompted the General Education department to try out something new, the official quoted earlier says, "It was seen that something was lacking in our students when it came to sports. Of course, we used to conduct School Sports Meets every year. However, in all these annual sports meets, it was seen that more importance was given to athletics while games took a back seat. And the number of students taking part in athletics was just around 2,900. It was thought that this was not enough. Sports plays an important part in the overall development of a student. So we needed to get more students to participate."
Picking the final 24000 from six lakh students
Explaining how the 24,000 participants were lined up, the official says, "If you look at the student strength, our general education department is huge. 47 lakh students are studying in the schools under the department." In the build-up to the Kerala School Sports Meet, the first step involved holding sports meets at the sub-district levels.
"Around six lakh students took part in the sub-district meets. These meets produced around 1.6 lakh winners. These winners then went on to compete in the revenue district meets that were held in the 14 districts of the state. Out of these meets emerged 24,000 winners who are now competing in the Kerala School Sports Meet at Ernakulam," says the official.
"The same method was followed to select the athletes participating in Inclusive Sports and also those who arrived from the UAE," adds the official.
Dwarfing the Olympics!
Another facet of the meet is that all 39 events are being held in six categories namely U-14, 17 and 19 in both genders.
"The Olympics, which is touted as the biggest sporting event in the world, has around 10,500 athletes competing in two categories. There they have just 33 events. However, here the situation is different. It is humongous! We are conducting more than 10,000 competitions at every stage. However, since we wanted to get every child to participate, we needed a plan," he says.
For the General Education Department, the task seemed to be cut out.
"We had the experience of conducting the Youth Festival. So, the department thought why not use a similar formula? However, what was needed the most was to garner the attention of the students and the general public. This was where the idea to conduct the sports meet on the lines of Olympics germinated," says the official. The deliberations to develop the plans began in June. "After that things began to move at a fast pace. In a meeting chaired by the minister on June 6, a presentation was made. The idea got approval from the minister and then things began moving quickly. Ernakulam was chosen as the venue for the meet," he says.
The department then held meetings with the MPs and MLAs in the district and formed 15 sub-committees that had the MPs and MLAs including the Mayor and the district panchayat president as members. An organising committee with the Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the patron was also formed. The next step had significant importance since it was aimed at getting the students' attention.
"On July 26 when the Olympic cauldron was lit in Paris, we also had torches lit simultaneously at all schools in the state to announce the start of the build-up to the Kerala School Sports Meet Kochi 2024," says the official.
Finally, after a lot of meetings of the committees that had been formed at various levels, everything needed for the smooth conduct of the sports meet was realised and on November 4 the mega event began with a bang, says the official.
"This is the first time that we are conducting such a big meet. The venues for the events were selected after a thorough validation of the facilities available. All the venues have facilities matching national-level standards," says the official.
It should also be noted that even though the state government has provided funds for the conduct of the sports meet, most of the resources have come through sponsorship.
"We have individuals and companies coming forward to sponsor various things needed for the conduct of the meet," he adds.
The state government wants to realise its aim of creating a sporting culture through this sports meet.
"A lot of investment is needed to boost sports in Kerala. And this can be realised only through the participation of individuals and private companies. For example, the entire quantity of rice needed for the sports meet kitchen has been supplied by a company. Similar is the case of the jerseys and other equipment. And sponsorships are coming in. This shows that funds will come in," adds the official. Every process in the conduct of the event has been very transparent, he says.
As for the food for the athletes, the official says, "The menu has been prepared in consultation with the nutritionist associated with the Noon Meal Programmes of the General Education Department. The kitchen of the sports meet is being manned by the famed Pazhayidom Mohanan Namboothiri. 15 kitchens are operating at 15 venues. In the case of the two venues which don't have kitchens, food is transported from the main kitchen. The food includes both non-vegetarian and vegetarian dishes. The selection process was again through the tender process. Everything about the sports meet is transparent."
Officials hope that this Kerala Model sports meet will be conducted every year. "We have created a Kerala Model in school sports too and if this model is followed in the coming years, we can say that after five years, sports will become a part of our children's lives and they will shine not only at the national level but also on the international stage," he says.
Asserting the dream of making Kerala shine in the sports sector too, the minister says the state government is committed to making the Kerala School Sports Meet an even greater success. "The state government will continue to invest in sports infrastructure, training programmes, and inclusive practices. Together, we can create a brighter future for our children, a future filled with dreams, aspirations, and countless victories," adds the minister.