Sachin Tendulkar Foundation to develop 50 playgrounds in Naxal-hit Dantewada
Dantewada, Jun 15 (PTI): Dantewada in Chhattisgarh is shedding the tag of being a Naxal-affected district and is carving a new identity for itself as a sports hub thanks to the local administration's unique initiative supported by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar's foundation.
With the Naxalite footprint gradually shrinking in the district, the administration has introduced 'Maidan Cup' in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation and Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, under which 50 playgrounds will be developed in Dantewada to boost sports culture and talent.
"At least 20 playgrounds have been developed in the district so far with community participation as a part of the project, and by October, the target will be achieved," Dantewada collector Kunal Dudawat told PTI.
Last year, the state government organised the Bastar Olympics 2024 to promote sports talents from the Bastar region, comprising Dantewada and six other districts.
The idea was to connect sports talents of Naxal-affected and sensitive districts with the world through games, he said.
"Along these lines, we decided to introduce Maidan Cup to provide dedicated playgrounds to children and youth to further boost sports talents in collaboration with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and Mann Deshi Foundation, he said.
Dudawat said in the first phase, 50 playgrounds will be developed in as many villages, and it will be replicated in the entire district in the next phase.
Vibrant playgrounds are being developed in existing spaces on the premises of government high, higher secondary and porta-cabin schools in the district with the help of community participation, he said.
The official said that 20 playgrounds have been developed with facilities for 13 different sports, including a running track, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, long jump, wall climbing, etc.
He said the district administration could have built the playgrounds on its own, but the idea was to involve community and iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar to attract youths and children.
The playgrounds were developed with materials available locally, and not more than Rs 4 lakh was spent on each of the facilities. Paintings on boundary walls of the playground have been done by local children, Dudawat said.
"With these facilities, we want the next sports personality of the country to come from the Bastar region. Youths of Bastar have been torchbearers in athleticism, with specific physical and genetic traits advantageous for particular sports. Several youngsters from the region join the police, paramilitary and armed forces, and with these playgrounds, we want the youth to shine in national and internal sports," he said.
"In the long run, we want the next Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra and PT Usha to come from Bastar," he asserted.
The official said panchayats that develop the best playgrounds in their areas under this initiative will be rewarded with a skating park.
He further said the district administration has also been building a residential sports city, where elite athletes with medal potential from the region will receive specialised training.
This sports city will have cricket, football and hockey grounds, swimming pools and other sports facilities, he added.
"For the first time in India, there is a community movement to build a playground for children," said Divya Sinha, who is leading the project from the Mann Deshi Foundation.
"We want Dantewada and Bastar to be reorganised as a hub for climbing and skateboarding rather than being known for Naxalism," she said.
The Mann Deshi Foundation has been implementing the Maidan Cup initiative funded by the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, she said.
"Imagine growing up in a place where children have never felt the thrill of scoring a goal, the joy of swinging on a jungle gym, or the pride of competing in a kabaddi match. For years, this was the reality for thousands of kids in Dantewada, a region where conflict and poverty stole not just livelihoods but childhood itself. But today, something extraordinary is happening," she said.
Sinha said around 70 per cent of Indian schools lack proper sports facilities, and over 500 million Indians have never played a sport.
"In Dantewada, many children have never had a safe space to run, play, or just be kids. This isn't just about games. Research shows that playgrounds reduce dropout rates, improve mental health, and even deter youth from joining extremist groups," she said.
Playgrounds have already been completed in Chhindnar, Kasoli and Heetameta villages, among others, directly impacting 10,000 children, she said.
"In Dantewada, we have trained sports teachers of 100 government schools as a part of Mann Deshi Foundaton's travel coach programme. In Maharashtra, we have trained 1,700 sports teachers from government schools. For the first time, the Maidan Cup initiative has been undertaken in Dantewada in the country," Prabhat Sinha from Mann Deshi Foundation said.
More than 150 villagers, including teachers, farmers, labourers, workers and children, gathered to make playgrounds in Dantewada, he said.
After Dantewada, the Maidan Cup initiative will be replicated in Jashpur (Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's home district) and Raigarh districts, he added.
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Separate nodal officer in all districts to prevent female foeticides in Karnataka: Minister
Belagavi (PTI): Accepting that the female foeticide has not stopped in the state, Karnataka Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao on Tuesday said that the government is taking strict measures to prevent it.
The minister said the government is appointing separate nodal officers in all districts and tightening measures to prevent foeticide, which he called a "social evil".
He also assured that the government will consider strengthening legislation to control such activities.
The minister was responding to a question by BJP MLC C T Ravi in the Legislative Council.
"Female foeticides have certainly not stopped. If you look at the sex ratio, there is a lot of difference. I accept that this is happening," Rao said.
"Foeticides are not happening under pressure; voluntarily, it is happening, for not wanting a girl child. These things are happening based on the sex determination of the foetus at some hospitals. Sex determination is illegal, but with the advancement in technology, portable ultrasound machines have been developed, which can be easily carried anywhere, and scans and tests can be done. This needs to be controlled. We will bring it to the notice of the central government," he said.
In some districts and in a few hospitals, a higher number of male child births is happening. It is found with the help of intelligence input, the minister said.
"Information is being gathered on the taluk in which the male-female ratio is worsening, what is happening in which hospital, and appropriate action is being taken to crack down on such a network, after proper evaluation."
Decoy operations have been done at seven places in the last two years, to identify those involved in illegal activities linked to female foeticides, and actions have been taken against officials and hospitals involved, he said, adding that more needs to be done on priority.
Responding to a question by Ravi about whether any stringent legislation is being brought, Rao said, the government will consider strengthening the legislation and making it stricter to control this.
"Some amendments have been made to the existing laws in the last two years....advanced technology and the internet is being used to carry out such things, also oral medicines for abortions are available over the counter.
We need to look into bringing legislation to control them. The Food and Drug Administration has issued instructions to pharmacists that the sale of such drugs should be documented."
The minister also said that measures are also being taken for the effective implementation of the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PC & PNDT) Act, and awareness is being created against the identification of female foetuses and female foeticide.
