SDMC to engage sports bodies to train students of municipal schools

‘Catch them young’, seems to be the new mantra of the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, when it comes to training children in sports. The civic body is in the process of engaging reputed sports bodies on public-private partnership (PPP) model to train students of primary schools run by the corporation in the sport of their interest.'We have empanelled some of the sports bodies and are trying to include more. 

They will start the work within two to three months,' said Satish Upadhayay, chairman of the education committee in South DMC. As per the agreement being finalised by the corporation, the corporation will provide open space within the premises of the primary schools run by it, for the construction of playgrounds and necessary logistics and in return these sports bodies will provide free training to their students. 'These sports bodies are allowed to use the infrastructure for paid training to children from the neighbourhood (those not studying in the civic body schools) to recover the operational and maintenance cost of providing training to the students of our schools,’ added Upadhayay. He further said that fees for outsider students will be kept within reasonable limits. 

'The municipal primary schools have sufficient open spaces which can be utilised for these activities without incurring any additional expenditure,' he said.Some sports bodies have already submitted their proposals to the corporation be a part of the agreement. The sports bodies which have expressed their interest in the scheme include Bhaichung Bhutia Football School, Delhi Lawn Tennis Association, Delhi Wushu Association, Delhi Judo Council, Delhi KarateDo Association and Delhi Teakwondo Association.

The education committee of South DMC will meet on Wednesday to allocate one zone each to four sports bodies. The corporation has 588 primary schools in its four zones, South, West, Central and Najafgarh. Over two lakh students are enrolled in these schools.