Foreword
Infrastructure
Sports Infrastructure
Sports plays a great role in our life as it keeps us healthy, strong, energetic and active. We can have a healthy mind only when we have a healthy body.
It helps everyone to improve and maintain physical ability and skills. The role of Government is to create infrastructure and promote capacity building for broad-basing sports as well as for achieving excellence in various competitive events at the national and international levels. The schemes of the Department are geared towards achieving these objectives.Major institutions coming under the sector are Kerala State Sports Council, Kerala State Youth Welfare Board, Kerala State Bharat Scouts & Guides, Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs, Directorate of Public Instruction and Directorate of Collegiate Education.
Altitude Simulation Training For Athletes
The scheme aims to establish a modern low oxygen training system for enhancing the endurance and performance of Kerala athletes to lift them to international level. One ‘modern low oxygen altitude simulation training centre’ has been established in Jimmy George Indoor Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram at a total cost of 2 crore. It is the first in the history and the best investment for future of Kerala Sports. It facilitates to increase aerobic power and endurance of athletes, faster recovery from high intensity training, faster healing and recovery from injuries, better stress tolerance and concentration, improve athletic performance of Kerala athletes.
Kerala State Sports Council is currently running 24 Centralized Sports Hostels, 51 College Hostels and 24 School hostels. Centralized Sports Hostels are directly maintained by Kerala State Sports Council where college and school sports hostels are maintained by respective managements. There is approximately 2610 number of students in the hostels at present. Sports hostel students are given Boarding/ Lodging charges at the rate of 200 per day and washing allowance at the rate of 100 per month.
The track suits and playing kit, for the inmates of the hostels are supplied by the Kerala State Sports Council.Apart from these sports equipment,playing kits are also given to the athletes of 108 Day boarding Centres and Training Centres.There are 41 recognized Sports Associations under Kerala State Sports Council. As per grant in aid regulations, Kerala State Sports Council issues grant to State Associations for conducting State Championship, Coaching Camp, Participation in National South Zone competitions, conduct of national/ south zone competitions in the state.
Department of Sports & Youth Affairs covers all areas pertaining to promotion and development of sports and games in the state through development of proper and quality infrastructure of sports and games, imparting awareness among public regarding importance of sports and games, providing facilities for proper training and grooming of sports persons to attain international standard programmes related to youth welfare.
Rajiv Gandhi Sports Medicine Centre was established in 1992 as a pioneering venture of Government of Kerala and is the only one of its kind in the State to promote excellence in sports by lending scientific and prompt medical assistance and rehabilitation therapy to sports persons. In the financial year 2016-17, All Kerala Cycle Rally was conducted in association with IMA and NISS. “Health, Exercise and Active living through Sports (HEALS)” programme has been conducted in 26 locations of the State. Administrative Sanction was accorded for establishing “Health and Physical activity centres for women” in four locations.
Multi-sport play spaces aims to develop available grounds as play spaces ideally for multi- sport usage including Volleyball, Basketball, Tennis and other minor games using modern synthetic surfaces. Ten institutions were selected for the implementation of the scheme during 2015-16.
The Kerala State Youth Welfare Board provides assistance to youth clubs/organizations for organizing training programmes and self-employment initiatives to the jobless youths.
Awareness Programmes
Awareness is an important area where the Youth can contribute. There are several on-going programmes initiated by the UN Agencies, International Organizations and Government Departments. The Youth Clubs will have to play a vital role in organizing and implementing various awareness programmes, environmental awareness, social forestry programmes and formation of Nature Clubs at local levels.
Substance Abuse Prevention is a new area, which needs greater focus and attention. The board has decided to further launch a state-wide intensive “Campaign against Substance Abuse” with the co-operation of UN Agencies, Government departments and other voluntary organizations.
As Youth Welfare Board envisages a network of action through the State/District Youth Centres, besides Youth Clubs at grass root levels, it can function effectively in combating HIV/AIDS Prevention Programme. The Activities will be done in collaboration with National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), UNAIDS, State AIDS Cell and other Voluntary Organizations.
Keralotsavam, 2015
Keralotsavam, a rare and unique youth festival, is conducted mainly for the youth who have no proper platform to present their cultural and physical talents. In this festival, youth in the age group of 15-35 can participate in Cultural, Arts and Sports competitions in block, district and State level.
Keralotsavam is now a widely accepted festival for the youth of Kerala. As a result every youth in this State is getting a chance to project him/her to the forefront in every sphere of life.Kerala has created a model for the nation by initiating a colorful youth festival “Keralotsavam”, which is conducted with gaiety and fanfare every year.
Keralotsavam 2015 was conducted from GramaPanchayat level to State level. Keralotsavamis organized by Kerala State Youth Welfare Board in association with Local Self Government. The art competition was held at six venues during December 26th to 28th, 2015 in Payyoli at Kozhikkode and sports competitions was held during December 28 to 30, 2015 at Kozhikkode city.
In Keralalotsavam 2015, Kannur district secured the first place with 112 points, Kozhikkode district secured the second place with 102 points and Malappuram district secured the third with 71 points.
The winners of State Keralotsavam in 18 National Youth Festival items participated in the National Youth festival conducted at Raipur in Chattisgarh during January 12th to 16th, 2016. The participants from Kerala won first place in Mridhangam and Bharatanatyam, second place in flute and third place in folk dance.
Youth Empowerment Programmes
- Yuvasakthi, a project initiated by the Kerala Youth Welfare Board aims to tap the potential of the youth. The project, being implemented in association with local self-governments will institute coordination committees at the panchayat and municipality level. 100 village panchayats and five municipalities of the district would benefit from the scheme. This project would help strengthen government aided youth activities under various local self- government bodies.The State Youth Welfare Board has drawn up an action plan for all districts.
- The main objective of Yuva Karma Sena scheme is to channelize ‘Youth resources for Rural Development’. There are thousands of Rural Youth who are willing to do any service on a voluntary basis. The 152 blocks in the State can be chosen for mobilizing these invaluable youth resources and the Block Youth Co-coordinator will be entrusted with the responsibility of each block Youth Community. 50 dedicated Youth Volunteers will be selected at each block and they will be provided with a two-day intensive training on disaster management, first aid, and community work. These volunteers will be provided with a resource kit and an identity Card. Thus the service of 7,600 trained youth volunteers can be ensured throughout the State. The service of these rural social volunteers will be a great blessing in time of natural calamities, unexpected accidents, and riots.In Kerala the ratio of unemployed youth is going up. The Kerala State Youth Welfare Board’s youth employment training scheme aims at providing training to un-employed youths of the State. It is for promoting self-employment. A large number of youth have been given training in the fields like Carpentry, Masonry, Bee-keeping, Electrical and Electronics equipment maintenance which will help them to find jobs in their villages itself.