Sports can save kids from addiction, bad habits, mobile-mania: DC Laya Madduri

Yesterday, deputy commissioner of Cachar, Laya Madduri along with MLA Silchar, Dilip Paul attended a scheme inauguration ceremony in Itkhola, Silchar. The Itkhola ground located next to Mediland hospital will be rebuilt as a football stadium under Chief Minister Gram Unnayan Yojana of Government of Assam.

The state government has sanctioned a sum of Rs 20 lakh for the development of the ground, “40-50 years back we had quality players in Silchar and Barak Valley. NN Dutta football tournament used to draw in a high number of spectators, we used to witness great participation from schools and colleges. Now, the fields are empty, sports does not exist in schools and colleges. I think poor infrastructure is why this happened,” said Dilip Paul.

He was of the opinion that Silchar lacks infrastructure and that is the primary reason why Guwahati is hosting national and international level tournaments and Silchar is not getting any. He also believes that kids in Silchar are chasing the wrong game, “Everyone wants to become a cricketer today and is running behind cricket. There is no point running behind this sport as it is played by only 12-14 countries of the world while others do not even know about its existence,” he added.

Pauls feels there is immense talent in the villages of Barak Valley and all across Assam but they do not get the opportunity to practice or participate due to unavailability of proper fields, “Hima Das (Athlete and sports ambassador of Assam) is a great example of the talent we have in our villages. She comes from a poor background and today she is one of the biggest athletes in the world,” he opined.

While the government of Assam sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for the development of the stadium in Itkhola, the deputy commissioner’s announcement was welcomed by thunderous applause. She said that the district administration has on principle agreed to sanction up to Rs 1 crore from the city infrastructure development fund for the development of this stadium close to the heart of the town. Laya Madduri said, “Infrastructure is extremely important in sports. We need quality fields, good trainers to shape professionals. Sports can be a good career option and kids of Silchar and the entire Northeast have the potential to do well in sports. But, first of all, we must ensure good infrastructure and that is why we worked on it and got approval to spend up to Rs 1 crore for this project. Now we will see the plan and estimates and proceed accordingly.”

In the recent past, Silchar has seen a sudden rise in drug addiction, also, there is a concern among parents regarding their children’s constant usage of mobile phones. We all remember the instance when a mother shared her concerns with the Prime Minister of the country and he replied: “Yeh PubG wala hai kya”. Madduri believes sports can be a solution, She said, “Active involvement in sports can save kids from addiction, bad habits, mobile-mania and many other avoidable things.”

Madduri warned officials involved in this project against mismanagement of funds, “This is a really important project and we must ensure that each and every rupee sanctioned for this project is used for the purpose intended. Local citizens should also take responsibility and keep an eye on the work going on. Together we all need to ensure that a quality stadium is built in Silchar,” she asserted.

Apart from Itkhola football ground, there was an attempt made by the officials to build another stadium in Chencoorie Tea Garden, “That project has been called off as we could not get the land we proposed. We are looking for another spot where we can build an auditorium or park in New Silchar yet to finalise the land,” MLA Dilip Paul concluded.