For the Kumram Bheem Asifabad district police, ‘Catch them young’ seems to be the mantra as they gear up for an important task — training of young rural talent and preparing them to qualify for sports schools.
This will be the first such initiative by a police department in the State.
On March 14, students below the age of eight-and-a-half years from 15 schools in Asifabad district headquarters town will undergo a screening test for selection to the training programme that gets underway during the summer vacation. Students in the remaining 115 schools will be screened in subsequent phases.
It was Karimnagar Range Deputy Inspector General of Police P. Promod Kumar, who broached the idea of the programme with Superintendent of Police Kalmeshwar Singenawar. Mr. Kumar had learnt of a proposal for such training by M. Manohar of the district police’s public relations wing, and later discussed it with Mr. Singenawar, who gave the plan a thumbs-up.
The idea apparently appealed to them as the government is looking for means to provide people from backward sections greater access to development in the backdrop of the Adivasi-Lambada tiff. And KB Asifabad has a large number of aboriginal students. The programme will also, in a way, take care of the need to boost sports activities in rural areas. “Children from aboriginal tribes are of a sturdy stock and hence suited best to sporting activity,” observed Mr. Manohar. “The thought of training them for sports schools came when I saw them perform exceedingly well in short runs at a local competition last year,” he added.
The district police has spent about ₹75,000 towards purchase of sports material for the purpose. Post screening, selections will be made at the district, State and national levels, in that order, for entry into Class V.
The sporting event for individual students will be decided when he/ she reaches Class VII. Thereafter, the students will be trained by coaches from prestigious institutes at the State and national levels.
The government will take care of all expenditure until they complete their education in this stream. Thus, a student who begins training from Class V will come out only after passing out degree.
