The need for urgent development and upgradation of sports fields and infrastructure across villages, wards, tehsils, blocks and regional levels in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been flagged, amid growing concerns over limited facilities available to local youth and aspiring sportspersons.
During extensive visits across municipal wards, villages, tehsils and blocks in the islands, it has emerged that young people, including girls, along with Panchayati Raj Institution members and ward councillors, have repeatedly highlighted the lack of proper sports and games facilities in their areas. While open playgrounds exist in most regions, they largely remain underdeveloped and unsuitable for organised training or competitive sports.
Bishnu Pada Ray, Member of Parliament from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, stated that most existing playgrounds, whether levelled or unlevelled, are devoid of essential modern infrastructure. Facilities such as indoor stadiums, multipurpose indoor halls, tennis and badminton courts, basketball courts, synthetic athletic tracks, and floodlighting are largely absent across the islands. As a result, many budding sportspersons are unable to pursue sports seriously or nurture their potential.
The lack of structured sports infrastructure, he warned, is discouraging youth from participating in healthy and constructive activities. This, he said, is contributing to wider social concerns, including rising vulnerability among youth to drug addiction and other social evils, posing a growing challenge for the island territory.
Ray recalled that he had earlier urged PRI representatives and officials of the Sports Department to prepare and project proposals for the creation and upgradation of sports facilities during District Planning Committee meetings. Despite repeated discussions, no concrete proposals have so far been submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. This delay persists even as the ministry has indicated its willingness to extend financial support under central schemes such as Khelo India, particularly in view of the limited financial capacity of the Union Territory administration to independently develop modern sports infrastructure.
He further stated that the issue has been personally discussed with Union Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya, who has agreed in principle to provide financial assistance under schemes including Khelo India and the National Sports Development Fund.
In this context, Ray has formally written to the Chief Secretary of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, seeking immediate directions to the Sports Department to carry out a comprehensive assessment of sports infrastructure requirements at all levels, regional, block, tehsil, village and ward. He has stressed that this assessment should be undertaken in consultation with PRI members, ward councillors, eminent sports specialists and tribal councils.
He has also urged that Detailed Project Reports, along with financial estimates, be prepared without delay and submitted to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for one-time financial assistance.
Clarifying the funding structure, Ray said that while central schemes could support the creation of sports infrastructure, recurring maintenance costs could be managed by municipal bodies, PRIs or the Sports Department, depending on land ownership and control of facilities.
Calling for urgency, he said the matter should be prioritised in the larger interest of youth development, promotion of sports culture and overall social well-being in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
