Nagpur, Sept 11
Maharashtra sports and youth welfare minister Sunil Kedar said one independent football stadium will be constructed at Kamptee soon and for that 10 acres land has been acquired. The tender will be floated soon and then actual work will start.
Kedar was interacting with the members of Sports Journalists' Association of Nagpur (SJAN) at its Vivekanand Nagar office on Saturday.
Kedar said football is one of the popular games in the district and particularly in Kamptee. " Unfortunately there is no football ground in Kamptee although it has produced several national and international players. Kamptee is known as a football nursery. Therefore, I have decided to construct a football stadium in this town", he said.
About the international sports university at Pune Kedar said in October some courses will start. The governing council has been formed and it include former Indian football goalkeeper Henry Menezes, rugby player and actor Rahul Bose, former professor of Wilson College Prof Ratnakar Shetty, former Indian spinner Nilesh Kulkarni, pro-vice-chancellor of Symbiosis university Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, additional chief secretary of school education and sports department Vandana Krishna, commissioner of directorate of sports and youth welfare Om Prakash Bakoria, principal of Shivaji Physical Education College Amravati Dr Anjali Thakre and former international shooter Anjali Bhagwat. Kedar said thru sports university will create employment opportunities for the youths.
About Divisional Sports Complex, Mankapur the minister said, " Still there are lot of pending works that need to be completed. Number of inter-national level facilities will be developed in future". The minister has expressed the regret that state government has constructed sports complexes at various places but they are not maintained or untilised. The policy will be framed that private firms will maintain and run it. He also gave the example of Kalmeshwar tehsil sports complex. The MOU has already been signed with JSW to maintain it. Kedar also said a number of sports associations have their internal dispute and ultimately players are suffering. " The government will withdraw all the rights of such associations and once they resolve their dispute all the rights will be restored.
About sports certificate scam in which some government sports officials are also involved Kedar said the government will not spare anybody and strict action will be taken against the guilty.
Deputy director of sports Shekhar Patil and DSO Avinash Pund were also present at the press conference