Re-constituted Governing Body of SAI meets Sports Minister

Decisions ranging from forming a sub-committee to recommend methods for recruiting coaches to preparing a scheme for optimum utilisation of stadia were taken at the re-constituted Governing Body meeting of SAI, which met under the Chairmanship of Sports Minister Jitendra Singh here today.

The meeting was attended by Jiji Thomson (Director General of Sports Authority of India), P K Deb (Secretary Sports), Anjuly Chib Duggal, AS (Expenditure), Secretary General, Indian Olympic Association, President, FICCI, President, CII and eminent sportspersons and sports experts Zafar Iqbal, Bhaichung Bhutia, Karnam Malleshwari, Ashwini Nachappa, Viren Rasquinha, Malav Shroff, Boria Majumdar, Vidushpat Singhania, and Mustafa Ghouse.
 

A decision was taken to form a sub-committee headed by G S G Ayyangar (Joint Secretary in MYAS) and comprising Bhutia, Iqbal, Malleshwari, Shroff, Nachappa and L S Ranawat to recommend the eligibility criteria and methods of recruitment of coaches.

According to the Sports Ministry release, Thomson was directed to prepare a 'Voluntary Retirement Scheme' (VRS) for all employees of SAI including coaches and, a scheme for optimum utilisation of stadia and use it for non-sporting purposes to generate revenue during lean season, for promoting sports.

It was also decided to carry out an Energy Audit of the stadia and other buildings where power consumption is very high.

The Ministry, 'in-principle' approved SAI's proposal to seek the services of a consulting organisation for the restructuring of SAI to convert it into professional body for providing expert training to elite athletes.

Other decisions included accounting and financial reforms to be carried out in a time-bound manner and the entire work to be computerised, besides constituting a consultative committee of experts from sports field to advise Thomson on the policy initiatives to be undertaken in SAI.