Jalandhar sports school iconic, but hostel ‘unliveable’
It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon. An unbearable stench, overgrown vegetation and a wandering street dog greet you at the hostel of the Government Senior Secondary State School of Sports —Punjab’s oldest and most prestigious sports institute that’s home to players from across the state.
Ignore the dog sleeping in one of the hostel rooms. Sidestep the garbage strewn across the floor. Escape through the main door. Remember, this school was envisioned as a nursery for future sports stars. The foundation stone was laid in 1961 by Punjab’s first Chief Minister Partap Singh Kairon. The hostel too was built the same year.
The budding sportspersons, who come here pursuing their dreams, have no escape from the filth and neglect all over. When contacted, school principal Ajay Bahri denies outright any role in the hostel’s affairs. “It is managed by the Sports Department. Complaints, if any, are forwarded to the officials concerned. We only deal with the education aspect,” he tells The Tribune.
Sarvjit Singh, Special Chief Secretary (Sports), admits to the poor condition of the hostel: “I recently went there and am aware of the situation. I will try to get the repairs done as soon as possible.” The hostel part left aside, the sports school appears to be in a fairly good condition. The mess too serves decent meals. Trials are held annually for sports such as gymnastics, boxing, volleyball and swimming. Those selected get free hostel accommodation. The school fee is also nominal.
Hockey Olympian Pargat Singh, an alumnus who is now an MLA from Jalandhar Cantt, blames the Punjab Government for the “poor state of affairs”. “I used to stay in the old hostel in the 1980s. The condition of the new hostel is deplorable. It’s clear the government isn’t paying heed to sports at the ground level, which is very sad,” he asserts. Olympians and Arjuna awardees such
as Surjit Singh (hockey), Tejbir Singh (hockey) and Bahadur Singh (athletics) have all been through this school and the old hostel.
The new hostel, built in 2015 to replace the ageing 1961 building that was fast turning into an eyesore, was meant to be the icing on the cake for the school. Ironically, it’s now the one that is in terrible condition. Huge cobwebs hang from the ceilings of hostel rooms. There are no coolers. Just old fans that turn slowly and barely stir the air. There’s no provision for clean drinking water, either. The washrooms are in a bad shape. Washbasins and bathroom tiles are broken. There is no warden, no security guard and only one sweeper.
Nearly 80 players from Tarn Taran, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Amritsar, Patiala, Sangrur, Kapurthala, Bathinda and several other districts reside here. The players attend classes in the afternoon and train under Sports Department’s coaches in the evening.
Several students, speaking on anonymity, say they have no option but to endure the “unliveable conditions”. A budding gymnast, the son of an autorickshaw driver, says it was his dream to get admission into the school—and the hostel. “I was shocked when I first reached here. It’s difficult to perform your best when your surroundings are filthy,” he says.
“The hostel will be renovated soon. A team visited recently and conducted the required assessment,” says District Sports Officer Gurpreet Singh.
