West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Saturday accused the previous TMC government of doing little to improve sports infrastructure in the state and bring it on a par with Odisha, Jharkhand and Haryana.
Addressing a programme here to mark National Sports Day, Adhikari said the files of budding sportspersons who received appointment letters and cheques at the event had allegedly remained pending in the Chief Minister’s Office for years during the previous regime.
“We have to see where West Bengal lacks. What is the reason behind the fallen motivation of our sporting talents so far?
“When we see neighbouring Odisha, Jharkhand and Haryana making the country proud with the feats of their athletes and other delegations at international meets, we must also recognise the immense possibilities of our sportspersons and introspect on how to nurture them,” he said. Adhikari said. Lamenting the alleged lack of support, inspiration and initiative from previous governments, he said the appointment letters and financial assistance would motivate young talents to bring laurels to the country at international competitions.
Adhikari called upon Sports Minister Indranil Khan to ensure that representatives from the state become part of the national football team and participate in tournaments such as the Commonwealth Games and South Asian Federation (SAF) Games.
Claiming that the previous regime had politicised sports, Adhikari said sports organisations and federations should not be controlled by politicians. “Change the system,” he told Khan.
