Tech strides making GenX lazy, says ace shuttler Pullela Gopichand
A week-long seminar involving internationally acclaimed sports experts and coaches in formulating a physical and sports literacy programme and ways and means to inculcate sports into everyone’s life will be held at Acharya Nagarjuna University from Monday.
Speaking to the media persons, Chief National Badminton coach Pullela Gopichand, the chief patron of ‘Sports for Life – India’ initiative here on Sunday, said that technological advancement was creating imbalance in the lives of the youngster generation making them languid and inert.
“Spending a big chunk of time talking over mobiles, watching television, surfing laptops and eating unhealthy food is taking a heavy toll on the youngsters. Rural games like Thokkudubilla, Karra Billa, Donga Police and hide and seek gave an opportunity for the erstwhile generation some physical movement in the evenings making them strong and fit. The experts will be discussing several aspects before coming up with suggestions as per the Indian conditions,” said the ace shuttler.
He said experts like Canadians Mr. Richard Way, a long term athlete development expert, Dr. Stephen Norris, a sports physiologist, Mr. Ram Nayyar; head coach of Canadian national badminton team and Ms. Ashwini Nachappa, former international athlete, would participate in the seminar.
Curriculum for schools, colleges
Senior coaches like Mohammad Arif (badminton), Ramesh Nagapuri (Athletics), Ms. Aradhana Sharma, sports nutritionist, Ms. Mala Honnatti, a marathoner, Mr. Aashish Contractor, sports medicine expert and others will help the core team formulate a curriculum for the schools and colleges.
Right age for initiation
At the seminar, several stakeholders such as physical education teachers, district sports administrators, sports association members, students of Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan and Kastruba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya will take part.
The experts will discuss the right age for the initiation into sports, creating opportunities to excel and sprucing up right kind of infrastructure and right quantity and quality of food intake and several other basic components.
Draft to be prepared
“The findings from the seminar will be culled in to a draft and would be presented to the powers-that-be for the future course of action in the 13 districts of the Andhra Pradesh,” said Gopichand.
Acharya Nagarjuna University Vice-Chancellor P. Rajendra Prasad felicitated Arjuna awardee Ashwini Nachappa.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Vijayawada / by Special Correspondent / Vijayawada – March 14th, 2016
