Fresh controversy at Kerala school sports meet as CM takes flame-lighting role from P.T. Usha
The 68th Kerala State School Sports Meet began on Sunday in Kozhikode amid controversy over the opening ceremony, with Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan lighting the ceremonial flame instead of track legend and Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P.T. Usha.
The meet officially opened at the synthetic track of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) in Kozhikode. Usha, who is also the brand ambassador of the event, had been scheduled to light the flame.
According to the event arrangements, Usha had travelled from Madhya Pradesh after receiving an official invitation for the honour. However, during the ceremony, General Education Minister N. Samsudheen asked her to hand over the torch to the Chief Minister, who then lit the cauldron.
The Kerala office of the IOA conveyed its displeasure to the Education Minister's office, describing the sudden change as a violation of the sports code.
Education Minister says decision was spontaneous
Samsudheen defended the change, saying the decision was taken spontaneously after Satheesan arrived at the venue.
He said Usha received the torch as planned before handing it to the Chief Minister. The minister also maintained that nobody had raised any complaint over the change during the ceremony.
The controversy emerged as the government also sought to use the opening ceremony to highlight the role of sport in tackling social issues.
Inaugurating the meet, Satheesan said the government would not allow children to fall prey to drug mafias. He described sports as the "strongest defence against drug abuse".
The Chief Minister also said the state plans to introduce a range of schemes to improve sports infrastructure in different regions, with the 2036 Olympic Games in mind.
Venue change had already triggered political disagreement
The controversy over the opening ceremony comes after several disputes surrounding the organisation of this year's state school sports meet.
The government had shifted the venue from Kannur to the NIT ground in Kozhikode for the competitions scheduled from October 24 to 29. The decision had triggered dissent within the United Democratic Front (UDF), with political leaders questioning why Kannur was overlooked despite having the required sporting facilities.
The venue change added to concerns over the arrangements for the major school sporting event, which brings together student athletes from across Kerala.
Roof collapse injures student athletes in Thrissur
Safety concerns intensified after a tin sheet from the roof of the indoor swimming pool complex in Thrissur collapsed, injuring five student athletes and their parents.
The incident led to public anger and prompted the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights to register a suo motu case.
The accident also triggered a political dispute over responsibility for the failure.
Sports Minister O.J. Janesh attributed the incident to torrential rain and organisational lapses within the General Education Department. Former minister K. Rajan, however, said the Sports Minister should also take responsibility for the incident.
The issue later led to confrontations between ruling-front and Opposition councillors during a Thrissur Corporation council meeting.
Protests over sports meet arrangements
The safety concerns and other organisational issues also led to protests in Thiruvananthapuram.
Youth and student organisations, including the ABVP and DYFI, held demonstrations outside the Directorate of General Education, demanding the resignations of Education Minister Samsudheen and Sports Minister Janesh.
Student athletes have also raised concerns over the scheduling of the meet.
The state school sports competitions clash with the National Junior Athletics Championships, leaving several junior athletes worried that taking part in the national event could affect their academic grace marks.