Patna: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday took exception to politicians and businessmen running sports organisations saying sports persons who should be at the helm of such affairs. Intervening during the speech of Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Sukhda Pandey in favour of the 'Bihar Sports Association Registration, Affiliation and Regulation Bill, 2013,' in the assembly, he said this system was not good for sports persons and sports.
It would be better if sports persons themselves run their sport and associations, Kumar said. The chief minister took a dim view of Leader of Opposition Abdul Bari Siddique tearing a copy of the Bill earlier during debate on it and said his government had no intention to control or regulate sports in Bihar. "We don't seek to unnecessarily meddle in sports affairs nor do we wish to control or regulate the same," he said, adding that the state government wanted to promote sports and provide infrastructure. "It hurts me to find that there are very few sports persons of national or international repute in Bihar despite our sizable population," Kumar said on lack of infrastructure and vision of those running sports.
He noted that the enthusiasm among younger generation to pursue sports has grown and the state government introduced the Bill to take forward sports activities. Kumar referred to the fight among politicians and businessmen to control cricket in Bihar. "A person who has never touched bat or ball in life wants to become chairperson of cricket bodies," he said in an apparent dig at RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, who heads one of the organisations claiming to represent cricket in Bihar. Kumar stressed on election of office bearers of sports associations in a democratic manner and said the state government would like that its funds for promotion of sports were utilised for the intended purpose and with accountability.
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