New Delhi: The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) today urged the government to treat sports excellence at par with academic excellence and asked it to formulate a uniform policy in this regard.

IOA Acting President, Vijay Kumar Malhotra appreciated Delhi University’s decision to allow U-19 World Cup-winning captain Unmukt Chand to continue his course at the College affiliated to it and said if there had been a proper policy in place this sort of situation would not have arisen.

Many Colleges had earlier barred young cricketers & other sports persons from taking the BA Programme first-year examination because of his poor attendance.

He said said it is strange that while government says that sports should become a part of the curriculum there is no proper policy as how to implement it.

“This case to case approach is not going to help the sports persons or solve the problem,” Malhotra said in a statement.

Malhotra said that it has been a long standing demand of the IOA that sports ministry should have a proper policy dealing with such issues which keep cropping up on regular basis.

He said all the sports persons, students & employees who are either in coaching camps or taking part in the national championship or representing the country in the International competitions should be treated as on duty.

‘It does no good to the morale of a sports persons if they have to go asking for special leave every time they attend a camp or play for the country at home or abroad’ he said adding ‘also sports persons should not feel that Government or authorities prefer a particular sport or are favourably inclined towards that game,” he added.

By Indian Sport News Network