Bihar: Athletes hit the streets to protest on National Sports Day, seeking jobs, facilities

One of the protesting players, Arun Modi, who is a Javelin thrower and has been trying to qualify for the Olympics, has highlighted that if the Bihar government had focused on the players they would have brought several medals like Haryana. He added that the state government is so indifferent towards sports that the morale of the athletes of Bihar is taking a beating.

Patna: On National Sports Day and the birth anniversary of Hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, athletes, coaches and players associations in Bihar are forced to protest on the road due to a lack of basic facilities and sports quota jobs.

On Sunday, the athletes and coaches celebrated the occasion of National Sports Day by protesting on the road. The athletes of Bihar took out a procession in Patna from Ramgoolam Chowk to the radio station Golambara. Bihar's athletes are angry with the delay in the recruitment process in sports quota jobs and lack of sports facilities.

Under the leadership of the Players Association President Mrityunjay Tiwari, hundreds of players and coaches took part in the protest and raised slogans against the Bihar government. In the group, there were several players of national and international level as well. According to these players, the recruitment process of players has been stalled in Bihar since 2014. The government is not at all worried about the sports and the players. That is why the players and coaches are on the road to protest on the occasion of National Sports Day.

The protesting athletes said that the Bihar government is not listening to the voices of the players. There is not a good ground for the players to practice, due to which the players of Bihar are not able to perform well despite having ample talent. The athletes also said that despite the plan to set up a sports university in Bihar, the existing physical education colleges and grounds are in poor condition.

One of the protesting players, Arun Modi, who is a Javelin thrower and has been trying to qualify for the Olympics, has highlighted that if the Bihar government had focused on the players of Bihar they would have brought several medals like Haryana. He added that the state government is so indifferent towards sports that the morale of the athletes of Bihar is taking a beating.

Nadir Parvez, a coach, said that the players of Bihar are helpless due to the government's attitude. The President of the Players Association, Mrityunjay Tiwari, has also accused the government of neglecting the sports and the players. He further said that due to the anti-sports policy of the government, the future of several players of the state is in the dark.