JAMMU, Jul 21: Human Rights Activist Om Parkash Khajuria has expressed serious concern over the continued neglect of sports infrastructure in the border Sub-District of RS Pura, urging the Jammu and Kashmir Government and the J&K Sports Council to immediately restore the historic Bana Singh Stadium and ensure that the benefits of the Khelo India programme genuinely reach the villages and border belts of the region.
Addressing the issue, Khajuria said that while the Government of India has launched several visionary initiatives under Khelo India to identify sporting talent, improve fitness, and provide equal opportunities to youth across the country, these objectives cannot be fully achieved unless rural and border areas receive the same attention as urban centres.
He observed that the condition of Bana Singh Stadium, once envisioned as a centre for nurturing sporting talent in RS Pura, has deteriorated significantly due to years of neglect. The stadium, he said, suffers from poor maintenance, overgrown grass and bushes, inadequate infrastructure, and a near absence of regular sports activities, leaving hundreds of aspiring athletes without a proper platform to pursue their dreams.
Khajuria lamented that despite the presence of the stadium, local youth have little access to professional coaching, modern sports equipment, structured training programmes, or competitive tournaments. He further alleged that the engagement of the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council in the region appears inadequate, resulting in the gradual decline of sporting culture in the border constituency.”A stadium that remains neglected cannot produce national champions. What RS Pura needs is not merely a building but a vibrant sports ecosystem where talent is identified, nurtured and encouraged throughout the year,” Khajuria asserted.
Highlighting the broader social impact of sports, the human rights activist said that sports are not simply recreational activities but powerful instruments for nation-building, personality development, discipline, physical fitness, mental well-being and social harmony. In sensitive border regions like RS Pura, he added, sports can play a transformative role by keeping youth engaged in positive pursuits and protecting them from destructive influences such as drug addiction, crime and other social evils.
He warned that the lack of adequate sports opportunities often leaves young people frustrated and directionless, making them vulnerable to substance abuse and other anti-social activities. “Every playground that remains abandoned increases the risk of losing another youngster to addiction. Every sports facility revived creates hope, confidence and a pathway to success,” he remarked.
Khajuria noted that while metropolitan and urban areas continue to benefit from upgraded stadiums, synthetic athletic tracks, indoor sports halls, coaching academies and regular tournaments, talented youth from villages are still struggling for even the most basic sporting facilities. Such disparity, he said, contradicts the inclusive spirit of national sports development programmes.
Referring to the objectives of the Khelo India initiative, he pointed out that the programme aims to create and upgrade sports infrastructure, establish Khelo India Centres and Sports Academies, organize Youth Games, University Games, Winter Games and Para Games, promote the Fit India Movement, and encourage participation among women, rural youth, indigenous sports and persons with disabilities.”These objectives will remain incomplete unless the benefits of Khelo India reach villages like those in RS Pura. Rural youth possess immense talent but deserve equal opportunities irrespective of where they live,” he said.
Khajuria appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Sports Council to prepare a comprehensive development plan for Bana Singh Stadium and surrounding rural sports facilities. He demanded immediate restoration and renovation of the stadium, regular maintenance of its playing fields, appointment of qualified coaches, provision of modern sports equipment, and the organization of district and sub-district level sports competitions throughout the year.
He further emphasized that Khelo India Centres should be established in rural and border areas to ensure systematic talent identification and long-term athlete development. Regular coaching camps, fitness programmes, school-level competitions and village sports festivals, he said, would help create a healthy sporting culture while inspiring young people to pursue excellence.
Calling for a balanced and inclusive approach to sports development, Khajuria stressed that government investment should not remain confined to cities alone. Equal attention must be given to border and rural regions where sports can become a catalyst for social transformation, national integration and youth empowerment.
“Khelo India must truly reach the villages of RS Pura. A neglected stadium cannot produce national athletes, but a vibrant sports ecosystem can save an entire generation from addiction, despair and hopelessness. Investment in sports is an investment in the future of the nation, and every child, whether from a city or a border village, deserves an equal opportunity to dream, compete and succeed,” Khajuria asserted.
He expressed hope that the concerned authorities would take immediate and concrete steps to bridge the rural-urban gap in sports infrastructure so that RS Pura emerges as a hub of sporting excellence and a model for youth empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir.