National Games promotes artists, not athletes: P T Usha

P T Usha criticises the organisation of the national games

The National Games and organisational mismanagement go hand to hand, however, P T Usha feels that artists have a better chance of growing than sportspersons at the event.

Despite praising the slight increase in infrastructure at the grass-root level, but she was sceptical of its importance to athletes preparing for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

She said, “After all, the National Games is an Olympic-format event. But, organisers seem to concentrate more on the pomp and show of the opening and closing ceremonies of the event than giving due importance to sports and sport-stars."

Usha added, "The ongoing Games are no different. They try to ensure the participation of maximum number of artists in the inaugural and closing ceremonies and make it a big celebration."

She went on to say that National Games organisers can learn a lot through multi-discipline games organised abroad. Usha said, “We will easily get the complete schedule and the other details of athletics or any other event of the 2016 Rio Olympics months before. But, is it possible to get the schedule and other such details of the National Games similarly?"