Imphal, April 30: National Sports Academy (NSA) situated inside Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, the only Sports Academy in the state established under Ministry of Youth Affairs with all expectations to produce more Olympic athletes from the state is reported to be struggling with several shortfalls and negligence from authorities.
Students of the academy have repeatedly urged higher authorities to consider the matter carefully so that the students can continue to concentrate on their sport career and shape their future.
Hostellers ran out of the Academy and had called a general body meeting for parents of the students tomorrow at 1 PM in front of NSA indoor hall.
Informing a series of problems and shortfalls in the Academy, Tina Soibam, a Taekwondo student representing her fellow students of the academy told media persons at Manipur Press Club that the academy has stopped providing sports equipments and materials without which students are now facing serious problems in practicing their respective events.
She said there are six sport events in the Academy viz, Taekwondo, Boxing, Judo, Archery, Weightlifting and Wrestling, and for all the events they are not getting any of the necessary equipments; even sport shoes and tracksuits since the last two years.
Besides equipment problem, their hostel life (both boys and girls) is in a deplorable condition, she complained. “There is no proper and hygienic drinking water facility inside the hostels. Students are not provided with proper diet. Toilets are out of human use, we are using toilets without window pane”, she lambasted. She also narrated incidents when the hostellers found lizards and even snakes inside the water tanks which is used for all purposes including bathing and drinking, highlighting that due to the use of unhygienic drinking water, many inmates have repeatedly fallen sick proving to be a huge stumbling block in their sporting pursuits.
The problems have been raised Several times to concern officers but instead of considering the worsening situation, they were turned away and treated with contempt, another student narrated the disappointed incident.
