Ground Reality: SAI's Bolpur Archery Centre On The Brink Of Closure

Inaugurated in 2007 by then Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chattopadhyay, Kabiguru Krirangan has churned out archers who competed at the national level and Asia Cup.

Bolpur: Kabiguru Krirangan, the Special Area Game Centre of the Sports Authority of India (SAI) is on the brink of closure as the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has ordered it to be shut down by March 31. Although the Bolpur district administration has extended assurance to resolve the matter.

The SAI planned to set up the centre on the Duckbungalow field when Bolpur was represented by former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chattopadhyay. Initially, the work started on 20 bighas and the foundation stone was laid on 2004. Rs five lakhs was allocated in the first tranche and the remaining amounts were allocated periodically. The work was completed in 2007 and the Kabiguru Krirangan was inaugurated on October 24 of the same year by Chattopadhyay, then incumbent MP, in the presence of then Union Sports Minister Manishankar Aiyar and his state counterpart Subhas Chakraborty.

The centre started with four sporting activities among which the athletics was the first to close down which never resumed. Apart from that basketball, table tennis and archery were also practised here. There are indoor and outdoor stadiums for basketball apart from rooms for the players and canteen. It was equipped with modern facilities for the convenience of players from other states.

The centre started with four sporting activities -- archery, table tennis, basket ball and athletics. (ETV Bharat)

People attached to SAI said the authority has training centres in Kolkata, Jalpaiguri, Bolpur and Lebong and the Bolpur centre is famous for archery. But lack of ground and infrastructure has pushed it to the verge of closure. Just five archery coaches are left at the centre and they have been ordered by the Union Sports Ministry to transfer to other centres by March 31.

"I was with SAI from 2014 to 2022 before I moved to Kolkata. When I was given the charge of the Bolpur centre, I was shocked to know that there was no field for training. Hence archery coaching will cease from March 31. The centre has produced several archers who competed at the national level and Asian games. Some of them clinched medals. The closer of the institute means the premature death of a million dreams. I have requested the administration to intervene for the sake of its continuation," Harish Kumar, in charge of SAI Bolpur centre, said.

Sukriti Dhar of Birbhum's Labhpur who was trained at the centre has participated in the Asia Cup and won gold as the junior national champion. Other athletes of the institute like Juel Saerkar won gold at the national level, Purulia's Sujata Mandi won silver in the senior national archery, Purba Bardhamn's Rimil Hembrom played in the national team and Prapti Batabyal played at the national level three times.

The indoor unit of the archery centre. (ETV Bharat)

The centre hosted several national championships in the past where several inter-state archers took part. Recent among them is the NTPC Junior National Championship where archers from 25 states and seven UTs took part.

The unavailability of ground is the main issue as the centre doesn't have its own field. So far a portion of the Duckbungalow Ground was used to train archers but there was no official record about it as the training centre belongs to the central government while the training ground was with the state government.

"It's unfortunate to see the centre close down as 50 of its trainees have played at the national level and in Asia Cup, winning medals. We have informed all authorities if a MoU can be inked with the district administration on the training ground for keeping the centre afloat. We hope the conscious people will never let it get obliterated," Tapaskumar Hazra, vice president of the West Bengal Archery Association, said.

The plaues with the names of the inaugurators. (ETV Bharat)

Faizul Haq alias Kajal Sheikh, the president of Birbhum Zila Parishad has been making efforts to save the centre. "It is yet to be closed and I have told them to appeal against it. I will personally speak to the district magistrate on the matter and hope a solution will come out. Those who get trained here are from our families and we will never let it shut like this," Sheikh said.

If this happens it will be beneficial for the 30 table tennis trainees. However, apart from the ground issue there are several others like the recruitment of permanent coaches and sufficient staff to be addressed.