It is incredible and glorious moments to see, hundreds of athletes and players with Olympic, World and National acclaims along with first timers at same platform. The happiness and pride as active participant and as excited winner, is clearly visible on their faces when they stand on Podium, hug their co-position holders and kiss the medals.
The enthusiasm combined with health consciousness, fitness and wellness among men and women especially those over 50 years of age making a drastic change in aging perception with larger, qualitative participation and understanding about its exaltation. They do not only showcase best technical skills and tactical actions (which never die with increasing age) but also demonstrate discipline, sportsmanship and resilience, will power passion towards Sports and life-long persistent struggle to keep oneself physically fit and emotionally controlled.
The pleasant sporting atmosphere and best ever sporting gesture also helps in attracting the young population towards this field preventing them choosing wrong path which leads to bad health habits, immoral anti social activities by falling prey to drug traffickers who are working for promoting unlawful, unhealthy and immoral trades and activities among students and other youngsters in cities, towns and even in rural pockets.
Opportunity to showcase
one’s skills, ability
and strength
Masters Games Associations and Federations, have made some wiser decisions by bringing two or even three generations together who can be seen playing on the same fields, same courts,athletics tracks and rinks as the entries in such popular events start from 30 years onward. Even the World has seen men and women above 105 years of age participating fearlessly, with full confidence and passion sharing podium and acclaims high appreciation across the Nation and Globe.
Easy access to modern
facilities and equipments
The competitors receive all state of the art facilities created for all disciplines with respect to modern play fields, tracks, indoor and outdoor games access in addition to bestever equipment and medical as well as first aid treatment during such events. It is human nature and natural trait to showcase one’s best and unique art or skill, try to make to podium by winning, gold, silver or bronze medals on the other hand such occasions do provide opportunity for one’s social recognition by becoming record holder or Sports Icon, may it be by defending last time’s title or breaking one’s own or best records.
J&K athletes showcase
tremendous enthusiasm
The Masters Games Association of J&K, the sports body comprising of outstanding athletes across different disciplines former sports administrators and sports contributors, is doing a good job by organising mega competitions in more than 25 disciplines in J&K thereby creating rich, healthy and lively atmosphere. The sole objective of fast growing sports identity is to bring together sporting families and individual athletes and players in different Olympic, indigenous and other competitive sporting events involving over 500 participants as gesture every year.
The Masters sports identity deserves appreciation for introducing the competitions from 30 years onward where one can see sons daughters, grandsons and grand daughters participating at same platform with fathers, mothers, grandfathers and grandmothers.
Reasons for growth
of the Masters Games
The growth and development of such active and committed organisations attributes mainly to attract larger participation by providing organised platform. Since the Masters Games providing a platform to the veteran athletes and sports enthusiasts, the identity deserves equal treatment at the State/UT and National level on the lines of para, other veteran sports federations and associations.
Though, in the previoussports policies and recently approved Khel Niti 2025, emphasis has been laid that every Indian citizen especially veterans will be incentivised and facilitated towards games to promote fitness under ‘Right of Fitness for All’, the implementation in true spirit of sports still awaits. The Nation eagerly looks forward for implementation of the policy decision in letter and spirit to encourage those encouraging and bringing the veterans to the sports fields. Writer is a retired Deputy Director from Department of Youth Services and Sports(DYSS) and also served as Director Sports SMVDSB and a veteran athlete.
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