We Want to Implement Sports Code on State Bodies: Vijay Goel

Sports Minister Vijay Goel on Tuesday said the National Sports Code might be implemented on state federations as well and asked the state ministers and secretaries to discuss the issue so that a decision can be reached with consensus.

"We recently had a meeting with NSFs and they themselves suggested that the code of conduct should be implemented on the state federations as well. So the state secretaries and ministries can think about it if we can implement this code on the state federations after proper discussion and consensus," Goel said.

"We have to implement this code of conduct on approx 95 per cent of the federations and the High Court has also given us the go ahead."

Goel, who was addressing the 'Conference of Ministers and Secretaries of The States', said his Ministry has already started preparing for the Tokyo Olympics.

"Although there was no complaint from any athlete regarding the TOP scheme, many asked why it was not implemented earlier. So though the Tokyo Olympics is still four years away, our ministry is working keeping in mind that it is happening next year so we plan to prepare in next two months the team selection, their coaching, Indian coach, foreign coach and other things," he said.

Talking about foreign coaches, Goel said: "We will have open advertisement for appointment of foreign coaches so that no deserving coach is left out."

Goel also said that, "there needs to be at least 5 per cent jobs reserved for sportspersons. Different ministries need to chip in. That will encourage parents also to allow their kids to pursue sports."

Goel also said his target is to identify 10 universities who can build Centres of Excellence for the budding sportspersons.

"We used to get players from school and colleges but now we see sportspersons from universities who have done well. So Our next target is to contact the 400 odd universities of the country and then identify 10 universities which would be interested in building Centres of Excellence. Our ministry will encourage such universities," he said.