Silent revolution of sports in Barmer

JAISALMER: Barmer is all poised for a silent revolution of sports. Realizing the importance of sports, district administration has granted permission for constructing 164 playgrounds in government schools.
These playgrounds, to be built under MGNREGA, will have facilities for basketball, volleyball, kho-kho as well as separate running tracks for athletics.Grounds will be built at a cost of Rs 22 crore.Financial sanctions have been given for the same as well as for 164 water harvesting structures (tankas) for collecting water from the roofs of pavilions to be built.
Creating awareness among sarpanches of various villages about how important sports is, Barmer collector Sudhir Sharma sought proposals for con structing playgrounds in government schools under MNREGA.
Till now, proposals for pavilion and sports grounds in 164 schools have been sanctioned. Khivalisar village in new Somesara panchayat in Baytu will see the first such playground. Talking to TOI, Sharma said that there are many sports talents hidden in the district which, if groomed, can give an identity to Barmer at the national level. It is to be mentioned that Khetaram, a resident of Sihago Ka Tala in Jaisalmer, bagged the 26th slot in marathon at the Rio Olympic 2016. Similarly , Deepa Ram is practicing for half marathon, hoping to make it to the Commonwealth games in 2018.
The 164 government schools include 51 primary and middle schools and 79 senior secondary schools. A total of 164 sports pavilions have been approved under MNREGA for these sporting arenas apart from 56 for basketball court, 110 volleyball courts, 147 for kho-kho grounds and 164 tracks for athletics.
Sharma said that 164 sports pavilions are being made at the same time for the first time in the country.