Hundreds Of Aspiring Sportspersons Participate In Mysuru's Talent Search Programme

The Centre for Sports Science, Bengaluru, established by the Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), conducted a Sports Talent Search Programme at Chamundi Vihar Stadium in Mysore on March 25 and 26.

The programme saw hundreds of budding sportspersons from various schools in the city and outskirts.

The Centre conducted the state-wide drive for aspiring sports children from different districts. According to The Hindu, nearly 360 young sportspersons were sent by their respective educational institutions. On Friday, the programme saw a turnout of 650-700 young children between the age of 8-15 years.

Speaking to the media, Director of Centre for Sports Science, Antony Chacko, said that the programme would help identify promising youngsters. The Centre would also encourage them to achieve Olympic excellence in any of the 14 sports identified by the Centre, including archery, boxing, shooting, badminton, wrestling, hockey, weightlifting, cycling, athletics, table tennis, judo, swimming, fencing and rowing.

The Centre undertook several tests to assess their physical capabilities. The 360 students were first subjected to a number of tests, from assessing their hand-eye coordination, upper and lower limb strengths, agility, static mobility, dynamic mobility, flexibility to grip strength and so forth. Those who qualified were taken for the second round of tests.

Chacko said the programme is also focusing on encouraging girls to participate in more competitive sports. "The data for Karnataka shows girls bagging more medals than boys. In swimming, for instance, we lead in junior and sub-junior level. But there is a huge gap in the participation ratio between boys and girls. Girls' participation is less, but they win more medals. So, we are trying to improve the girls' participation, " the media quoted him as saying.

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