Doing away with the norms, Jammu and Kashmir State Sports Council on Monday awarded a Thang-ta trainer for coaching Pencak Silat team.
Thanga-ta is a Manipur based martial art been played across India since decades while as Pencak Silat which has its roots in Indonesia is a recently recognised sport in J&K.
This game having been derecognised by Central Ministry from the latest list of recognised sports was, last year added to the list as a ‘surprise’ inclusion.
Sorts Council having inducted this sport, which has its association based in Kashmir, is now blatantly making mockery of norms by awarding one of its Thang-ta instructors as Pencak Silat Head Coach.
The council in its order titled ‘special cash reward’ for six representatives of Jammu and Kashmir who participated in Asian Games has included a Thang-ta trainer. He, however, has been nominated for his Pencak Silat stint, putting a question mark to the sports body’s credibility,
“Having already violated conflict of interest by allowing this person to handle two different games at a time, Sports Council now has added to it by announcing a award for this person,
“It seems like they don’t care about anything. They are making fun of norms,” an athlete who wished not to be named said.
Expressing grief over this decision, another sportsperson questioned, “Thang-ta and Pencak Silat are two different martial arts but unfortunately Sports Council seems to have no idea of that.”
“If a person is working as Thang-ta instructor from last twelve years, how can he be given free hand to participate in Pencak Silat and get awarded for that as well?,”
