Punjab to involve business houses in promoting sports

Ludhiana, Sep 14 (UNI) Business houses and sports industries will to join hands with the Punjab Government for promotion of sports, creating and upgrading sports infrastructure, adopting sports disciplines and raising sponsorships in the state.

These important issues were discussed and agreed upon in a joint meeting of the representatives of the corporate houses and sports industries with Sports Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike here today.

Secretary Sports R P S Pawar and Director Sports Pargat Singh were also present at the meeting.

Representatives of R K International, Vardhaman Polyester Limited, Oswal Woollen Mills, Avon Cycle Ltd, Hero Cycles, Sports Forum, Jalandhar, Montex Sports Co, President Sports Forum, RK Sports Ltd, Lalit Sports, Swantantra Sports, Khanna Paper Mills, Jagat Sports Academy, Nurmahal of United Kingdom, Spartaon, Em CC Sports and Janak Rubbers Limited took part in the deliberations.

Welcoming the representatives Mr Ranike wanted that sports culture should be developed in the state with the cooperation of the business houses and sports industries.

''We should join hands to promote sports culture in the state and the corporate houses and sports industries can play an important role by extending support in raising modern sports infrastructure, by adopting sports disciplines, funding sports academies and coaching centres, sponsoring competitions and teams, '' he said.

He stressed upon joint efforts to strengthen sports culture at the grass root level.

Sanjay Kohli, president Sports Forum, an organisation of sports goods manufacturers of Punjab, drew the attention of Mr Ranike about the plight of the sports good manufacturers in the state.

Kohli said that the most important need of the sports industry for its survival in future and its persistence against the competitive global pressures was to cope up with the rationale of designing products in accordance to the user requirements.

The products of the Jalandhar based sports goods industry are popular the world over but due to the lack of Research and Development and ergonomic testifications the industry was loosing its race to the products being manufactured with new technologies, Mr Kohli pointed out.

There was a dire need for immediate installation of a R and D Laboratory fitted with Ergonomic Ratifications in Jalandhar, he added. He requested Mr Ranike to allocate funds for the sports industry to facilitate the installation of R and D centre with ergonomics.

The Minister assured the sports goods manufacturers that he would take up the issue with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and try to arrange their meeting with the Chief Minister as soon as possible.

UNI