6 months ago
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Former footballer I.M. Vijayan has urged schools to dedicate much clip to carnal acquisition since children are progressively starring sedentary lives.
At a sheet treatment connected ‘Kerala’s chances successful sports’ astatine the 4th variation of the Kerala Legislature International Book Festival (KLIBF) organised by the Kerala Legislative Assembly present connected Thursday (January 8, 2026), Mr. Vijayan said, “It volition beryllium amended to dedicate astatine slightest 2 periods for carnal grooming successful schools.”
Recalling his interactions with parents during a sojourn to a sports camp, helium stated that galore parents felt blessed that the students spell connected to survey straight aft playing. “If students are provided with the close opportunities, they volition ne'er spell astray oregon crook to drugs oregon immoderate different harmful activities.”
Mr. Vijayan besides highlighted challenges successful coaching. “These days, we person much coaches than players,” helium said with a smile.
He felt it was amended to amusement a kid however to play than to instruct them. “Currently, grooming is mostly instructional, and coaches who tin show are becoming rare,” helium said.
Another panellist G. Kishore, Vice-Chancellor of the Young India Sports University, Telangana, observed that portion identifying sportspersons has go portion of enactment trials, the process remains constricted to a tiny excavation of candidates.
Potential talents excluded
Talent recognition was mostly confined to precise fewer who enactment astatine territory and school-level competitions. “We are selecting those who person already been identified arsenic sportspersons, portion galore imaginable talents are excluded,” helium said.
Emphasising that athletics should not beryllium treated arsenic an extracurricular enactment but arsenic an integral portion of the curriculum, Dr. Kishore said, “When acquisition is all-round improvement of a child’s body, mind, and spirit, focusing lone connected intelligence faculties cannot beryllium considered existent education.”
Dr. Kishore besides highlighted however hypokinetic manner diseases airs some societal and aesculapian risks. The deficiency of carnal enactment among the younker often goes unnoticed and is often glorified arsenic a “car-to-carpet” lifestyle. Sports, portion providing vocation options, besides helped code this issue, helium said.
(By Devadathan A.)
