|
|
|
|
|
| Monday, September 08, 2008
Governor calls for sports schools
He says both education and sports are important to the youth
DESERVING HONOUR: G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO (right)
and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra (third from left),
who were given the honorary Doctor of Science and honorary
Doctor of Literature at the convocation of SRM University
at Kattankulathur on Sunday. P.Sathyanarayanan, Vice-Chancellor
(left); T.R. Pachamuthu, Chancellor; Governor Surjit Singh
Barnala; and P. Ravi, Pro-Chancellor, are in the picture
Tambaram: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Sunday stressed the
need for starting sports schools.
“We are a nation with brainpower and manpower. We have
to channelise the youth in the right direction,” he said,
speaking at the fourth convocation of SRM University at Kattankulathur.
Education and sports, he felt, were equally important to the
youth.
Mr. Barnala said government-private partnership and creating
opportunities for opening sports schools were the need of the
hour. Turning to Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, who
was present on the occasion, Mr. Barnala said: “There
are many Abhinav Bhindras in our country. We have to identify
them, pick them up and train them. We lack exclusive sports
schools.” The number of students who had gone in for higher
education was just 10 per cent during 2006 – 2007, and
it should be increased to 15 per cent by 2015.
G. Madhavan Nair, Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman,
Indian Space Research Organisation, and Abhinav Bindra were
conferred with the honorary Doctor of Science and Doctor of
Literature respectively.
Mr. Nair said that with its diverse culture and geography, India
faced several challenges and was confident that the youth would
commit themselves to helping the nation deal with them. Educated
youth were the biggest asset of any nation, he said more students
must take to research and development.
More than three decades of research had helped India possess
technologies which he said were equal to those used by any advanced
nation. “We are building satellites and, above all, providing
space-based services for the development of the nation,”
he said.
Abhinav Bindra said that receiving the honorary doctorate was
a great honour, and he would do everything possible to improve
sports in India. The youth should take up at least one sport
as a career, he said. “But I know that you are all studying
to earn a degree and get a job. But at least take to sports
to keep yourselves fit,” he said. “Jogging or walking
a mile a day keeps the doctor several miles away.”
Courtesy: The Hindu
|
| << Back |
|
|
