Retired 1982 batch IAS officer Shishir Sinha has been appointed the first vice chancellor of the Bihar Sports University, located at Rajgir in Nalanda district.
A notification to this effect was issued by the government Saturday evening. Sinha had taken voluntary retirement from service in 2018 when he was the Development Commissioner.
Though the government decided to set up a sports university in July 2018 only, three years later in July 2021 the Bihar Legislature passed the Bihar Sports University Bill and after the gubernatorial nod, it was notified in the State Gazette. The passage of the bill had coincided with the Olympics.
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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had on August 29, the National Sports Day, inaugurated the state’s first sports Academy and Bihar Sports University, which will be part of the International Sports Complex at Rajgir. The Asian Women’s Hockey featuring six international teams is also to be played at the complex in November.
Sinha will have the arduous responsibility of heading the state’s first sports university, which is aimed at building the sporting culture that went missing in Bihar over the last few decades despite some individual players making a mark and provide a platform for players in various disciplines to excel at the national and international events.
The government has already appointed IAS officer Rajnikant, a native of Nalanda, as the registrar of the university. He was also given the charge of acting VC till the appointment of a regular incumbent. Incidentally, Rajnikant also took voluntary retirement after his tenure as DM.
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However, post voluntary retirement, Sinha, who is considered close to the CM and is the son-in-law of veteran BJP leader Dr CP Thakur, has been getting key positions like many other bureaucrats. Earlier he served as the Chairman of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) and Chairman of the Bihar Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Senior IPS officer Reveendran Shankaran, Additional DG, Bihar State Sports Authority, has been given the additional charge of Director General of the Bihar State Sports Academy.
Though the main objective of the Academy is to produce national and international players in various streams by providing the right atmosphere, facilities, and training, which have been missing in the state, it remains to be seen how far this big project is able to deliver to change the sporting profile of the state.
The recent Ranji Trophy matches at the dilapidated Moinul Haq Stadium, which once hosted international matches, drew a lot of flak in social media, but earlier this month the Bihar Cricket Association (BCA) was granted its 30-year lease by the state government for its redevelopment as an international stadium with all modern facilities with support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
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The 1983 Indian World Cup winning team member and TMC MP Kirti Azad said sports was a highly specialised and technical field and needed professionals to take it forward.
“Making the structure of an academy is not a big thing, running it professionally certainly is. It requires the expertise of sportsmen. Why we had to leave Bihar? Simply because it did not have anything bro support and sustain sports. Unfortunately, not much has changed. The approach needs to change,” he added.
Another international cricketer Amikar Dayal said roping in sportsmen who have the passion and expertise would help.
“It would have been better had the government given some key positions to sportsmen. IAS officers can be good administrators, but that is not the only thing that sports requires. Having a sports academy and sports university are good initiatives, but ultimately it all boils down to sporting spirit, atmosphere and expertise,” he added.
