Sports Information System

1Research Scholar, Singhania University, Rajasthan, India 2Indira Gandhi Institute of Physical Education and Sports (university of Delhi) Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018 Abstract: This study attempts only to for forward an expression and the thought as to why a ‘sports information system in India is necessary’. Since no policy can be based on an easy track or quick exercise. This issues forced here need further research, discussion and debate to give sufficient dynamic forced to act upon this idea of progress towards the development of the ‘national sport information system’ for better achievements and increased co-operation between countries and sports people on world wide basis. ---------------------------♦---------------------------- INTRODUCTION Sports is a high media exposures activity with dedicated pages everyday in the national dailies, as well as regional newspapers. After important sporting events, like the Olympics and Asian games, there is criticism that a nation of 850 million plus has done poorly in the sports area. The National Sports Policy of 1984 was formulates with the objective of raising the standard sports in the country and its program of action (1992) emphasized that Research and development in the field of sports and physical education should be actively encouraged. Every country is now seeking to develop information activities which respond better to their own national aspirations and makes them more competitive and less dependent on services from aboard. The library profession has been trying to get the national policy accepted by the government since 1950’s. There are policies on many related aspect like the education policy, the science policy and technology policy , etc. By accepting the policy on any subject the government is expected to provide more funds for better services. Information is the power which strengthens the knowledge of individuals, societies and nations. Information systems is powerful instrument for dissemination of organized information. Information contributes to the advancement of the knowledge and it is the key element that distinguishes the highly developed societies of the world from those who are still developing. Such being its importance, information demand care management and exploitation for putting it to use to improve the quality of the life of individual. Since sports reflects the psyche of a nation, sports information thus has been perceived as a necessity towards progress. Sports has undergone changes as those encountered in science, engineering, medicine, management and industry. India is also in the process to draft sports and physical education to an academic discipline. It will be fitting and righteous step of sports information on the latest developmental trends of the physical education and sports world. Non-availability of information (newly improved techniques and relevant trends) is one of the meaningful and salient factors influencing sports scenario in our country.

India has the potential for having one of the biggest sports system. At present, hardly any sound and effective information system exists in India for sport and physical education. But a number of libraries with different functions, scope and efficiency have grown under the auspices of various academic institutes, training centers and government departments. Majority of them performs traditional functions of circulation. They neither have any access to sports information system of the world. Most of the sports-scientists, coaches and trainer, manage to get information by individual efforts by exploring from the

Available online at www.ignited.in Page 2

accessible resources. In the absence of any database for advancing of sport techniques of teaching, coaching and training, our complete dependence is on foreign databases. Sports & Physical education research in India is being supported by Governmental, non-Governmental and other sport bodies, but it is being utilized to its free extent for various reasons. Primiarly information is being assembled in various forms at different levels and that too is not easily accessible to users and what to talk of disseminations. One can reach at a satisfactory stage after a sustained and hard work has been put in with the active contribution of all sports levels as a part of action plan a national plan is called for to develop a sports information system in India.

Planners and policy makers Administrative and implementation staff. Teachers, coaches and trainers/media persons Sports education institutions health and social workers. National, State and Olympic sports bodies Urban and non urban users etc.

Sports information system is an imperative and operative necessity for promotion of sport in gernal and policy formations of such a system can be visualised as source data and information on:

• Academic courses, training facility and career opportunity.

• Latest technique supplementation with regard to coaching and training of sports and physical education.

• Fitness norms at local, national and global levels.

• Infrastructure and spots facilities at regional and national level.

A stock taking and assessment of the exisiting information infrastructure resources and facilities would be necessary to identify their strengths and weakness. Such resources are classified as:

• Document (information) resources

• Institutional resources

• Human resources

As far as facilities are concerned, advancement in computer and telecommunication technology may be able to take care of the requirement of bibilographyic and non bibliographic data transmission. For developing human resources a proper thrust is also require since the information manpower requirement skills in a variety of technical operations, management skills, intellectual capability of analysis, evaluation and synthesis to extract high quality results in information system.

1. Book,W.C. and W. Karl. (1959), library techniques – research methods in health, physical education, recreation, 2nd edn, Ed. M.Gladys,Washington, 1959. 2. Caplow,T.(1976).how to run any Orgaisation, New York,Holt,Rinehart and Winston. 3. Caplow. T.(1986)National Education Policy. 4. UNESCO, Second International Conference of Ministers and senior officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport (Nov.1988), Paris,1989 5. Sandhu, K; Sigh, S, and bedi,M.S,(1993) 6. Broekhoff,J.(1980), Ways and Means of Organising a System for the Standardized Collection of Documentation in Physical Education and Sports, UNESCO,Paris.