Pradhan joins as new Sports Director

Dr Prasanna Pradhan joined as the new head of the Directorate of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Orissa, today. He succeeded Narayan Prasad Das, who retired earlier on January 31. The key post in the state sports administration way lying vacant since the retirement of NP Das. In the absence of the director, government sports activities had come to a halt. Sports suffered in the state as there was no minister either to manage the area after the removal of Debasis Nayak. Chief Minister kept the Sports Department under his disposal, but did nothing of note. Neglected, the Sports Department has even forgot to carry out its routine programmes such as conducting competitions and coaching camps. Political priority has prompted the administrators to ignore sports, but sports is most likely to prove them worng in due course. Directorate of Sports, a key agency constituted for implementation of sport promoting schemes, has always been put under the control of people who have taken the post as below their dignity. The post of the Director has thus become a clerical job. It now remains to be seen if the new director can do something different. Nothing is known about Dr Pradhan`s past relationship with sports. Before assuming the new post, he served as the deputy registrar of Puri Cooperative Society.