Reiterating concern over rising drug abuse cases, Team Jammu has alleged that shortage of qualified coaches and sports infrastructure is leading to rise in the drug menace across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Addressing a press conference here, Team Jammu chairman, Zorawar Singh Jamwal said, “Youth has a key role to play in nation building and any region or state with healthy youth makes it developed but unfortunately, in the recent past, rise in number of drug abuse cases in Jammu and Kashmir is a matter of concern.” Singh said that almost all the States are focusing on youth by engaging them through mediums like skill development, entrepreneurship, capacity building programmes and sports but it is very unfortunate that Jammu and Kashmir is lagging behind in taking these initiatives for our youth. “Presently there are nearly 53 Sports Associations, which are affiliated/recognized by the J&K Sports Council but against them, there are around 55 coaches in different disciplines serving across the Union Territory,” he alleged. “If we have 53 recognised bodies, then it is understood that each game/sport should have atleast one coach, which means, 53 coaches are needed in every district thus making a total of approximately 1100 coaches but surprisingly, a strength of 53 qualified coaches are engaged in the entire J&K,” said Jamwal. Singh further said that during previous successive regimes, jobs were created and interviews were conducted but later all of them were cancelled. “Although interviews were again re-called but qualified aspirants are still waiting for the call from the department concerned,” he said. He alleged that the popular Governments engaged some of their closed relatives through alleged backdoor appointments. “Moreover, last month a duty roaster was also issued by the Council for the coaches of Jammu division asking them to stay for a period of one-month at different newly constructed indoor halls by arranging accommodation on their own in this COVID pandemic,” said the Team Jammu chairman. He alleged that most of these indoor complexes are either incomplete or have no basic facilities and the roster is issued only to “fool” the administration showing them functional in papers only.
