Bihar sets up separate department for sports; promises international-level facilities for athletes

Bihar Government has decided to set up a separate department for sports in order to boost infrastructure and provide support to athletes. State cabinet chaired by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on January 8 approved the proposal to form a separate department for sports. The sports related activities were earlier carried out by the department of art and culture.

Elaborating on the jurisdiction of the newly-constituted department of sports, the Additional Chief Secretary of the state cabinet department, S Siddharth said: “The department will focus on developing the state of sports in Bihar besides undertaking welfare activities for athletes. All sports infrastructure and sports universities will now fall under the ambit of the Department of Sports.”

Underscoring the need for a new department designated specifically for sports in Bihar, Siddharth said: “The state government will now promote sports and ensure superior participation of Biharis on national & international levels.”

Earlier two days ago on December 6, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar announced that the state government would soon create a ‘sports department’. He distributed appointment letters to 71 sportspersons of the state, who won medals in national and international events.

“We have decided to create a separate sports department in Bihar to boost infrastructure and support athletes in their endeavour to win medals,” he said.

“Now, a separate sports department will be created to facilitate talent…and provide them international-level facilities for athletes in the state,” Kumar said.

The Bihar government has decided to promote and encourage sports by giving direct jobs to sportspersons who won medals, he said.

‘Medal lao, naukari pao’

“The state government has already formulated a policy for providing government jobs to medal winners- ‘medal lao, naukari pao’ (bring medal, get jobs)”, he said.

The government has decided to provide jobs in administrative and police services to those sportspersons of the state, who will win medals in national and international sporting events.

The administration has already constructed 250 stadiums in all blocks in the state, he said, adding a sports academy of international level, apart from a cricket stadium and sports universities, was coming up in Rajgir.

Those who were given government job letters included Shailesh Kumar, gold medal winner in the high jump competition of the 19th Asian Games and IV Asian Para Games, 2023, held in Hangzhou, China, Chandan Kumar Singh, who won a medal in the lawn ball game in the Commonwealth Games, Md. Shams Alam Sheikh in swimming at the 4th Asian Para Games, 2023, Jalaluddin Ansari in cycling track, Akash Kumar in fencing (fencing), Sagar Kumar in Kabaddi, Shweta Shahi in the rugby game of Asian Games.

Kumar further said that good players would get scholarship so that they can take care of themselves, purchase sports equipment and spend the amount on proper diet. “Several sports quota vacancies exists in police and other departments. These would be filled on priority,” he said.

The chief minister said that on the lines railways providing jobs to players, Bihar government also started the same in 2010 by providing government jobs to outstanding performing players. “Under this, 33 players were given jobs in the year 2010, 125 in the year 2011, 82 in the year 2015 and 31 in the year 2020,” he said.