Arjuna Awards The Arjuna Award winners till recently were given a scroll as well as a bronze statuette. However, on the basis of the recommendations of the All India Council of Sports, the rules for the Arjuna Awards have been revised. According to the revised rules the Awards will be admissible for all the recognised sports disciplines and each awardee, in addition to a scroll and a statuette, will also be entitled to a scholarship at the rate of Rs. 200/- per month for a period of 2 years and free entry to witness any National/International match played in India. In the conditions for eligibility of these Awards emphasis has also been placed on high sense of discipline in addition to excellence in sports. The Awards will, starting from 1977-78, be given financial year wise.
On the recommendation of the All India Council of Sports Government have selected 7 outstanding sportsmen and 3 sportswomen for grant of Arjuna Award in various sports disciplines for the year 1977- 78.
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India's Participation in International Sports Events Exchange of Sports teams between India and foreign countries during 1978-79 :
(a) The Indian teams that participated in Sports events are following :-
(i) Mohan Bagan Football Team to Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand for playing exhibition matches (May, 1978).
(ii) Indian Chess Team to Indonesia, Malaysia and Iran to participate in the Asian Grand Masters Circuit Tournament, (June-September, 1978).
(iii) Indian Golf Team (Ladies) to Nairobi to participate in Kenya Ladies' Amateur Golf Championship (1978) (June 1978).
(iv) Amateur Athletics Federation of India's Team to Czechoslovakia to participate in the XVIII Golden Spiko of Europe and in the 19th Pravada Televize Slovanft in Barlislava (Czechoslovakia) (June, 1978).
(v) Aero Club of India team to participate in FAI World Air Relay Championships in U.K. (August, 1978).
(vi) All India Chess Federation Team to participate in the Men's Zonal Tournament of Zone IX at Tehran (Iran) (August, 1978).
(vii) Wrestling Federation of India's Team to participate in the World School Boys Festival at Albquerrque New Mexico, USA (August, 1978).
(viii) Amateur Athletics Federation of India's Team to participate in the 40th Singapore Amateur Athletics Association Track and Field Invitational Awards, 1978 at Karachi (September, 1978).
(ix) The All India Football Federation Team to Bangla- desh to participate in the XX Youth Football Tournament, 1978 (October, 1978).
(x) The Yatching Association of India's Team to participate in the Southern Asian Yatching Regatta VII at Karachi (September, 1978).
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(xi) Shri Ravi Kumar, Junior player of India Chess Federation of India to participate in the XVII World Junior Chess Championship at Graz, Austria (September, 1978).
(xii) The School Games Federation of India's team to participate in the Asian Schools Football Championship at Sri Lanka, (August-September, 1978).
(xiii) Indian Women Hockey team to Holland and France on way to Spain for participation in the III World Womens' Hockey Cup tournament at Madrid (September, 1978).
(xiv) Motor Sports Club of India's 13-member team to participate in the Sri Lanka Grand Prix (September, 1978).
(xv) Shri R. K. Manchanda of Squash Racket Federation of India to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Manila to participate in the South East Asian Circuit (August- September, 1978).
(xvi) The Board of Control for Cricket in India team to Pakistan for playing test-matches (September-November, 1978).
(xvii) The Badminton Assiciation of India's team to participate in the 1st National Inter-club Championship at Dacca, (Bangladesh) (October, 1978).
(xviii) Shri Prakash Padukone of the Badminton Association of India to London to participate in the Even of Champions Badminton Event (October 11, 1978).
(xix) The Yatching Association of India's team to Colombo to participate in the Inter-Trophy Regatta Annual Sailing Event between the ports of Madras and Colombo (September-October, 1978).
(xx) The Indian Airlines Sports Control Board's Team to Washington to participate in the John F. Kennedy Memorial International Field Hockey Championship, Washington (October, 1978).
(xxi) The Indian Golf Union's 5-member team to Taiwan to participate in the 1978 International
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Amateur Golf Team Invitational Championships (October, 1978).
b. Foreign Teams that participated in Sports events held in India during the year included the following :-
(i) Sri Lanka Services Hockey Team to participate in the C. K. Naidu Memorial All India Hockey Tournament at Kovilpatti (May-June, 1978);
(ii) Amateur Athletic Teams from Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan and Kuwait to participate in the All India Open Athletics Tournament at Jullundur (Punjab) (May, 1978) ;
(iii) Federal Republic of Germany, Basketball Team (Juniors) for friendly matches under the Indo-FRG Cultural Exchange Programme (May, 1978) ;
(iv) Volleyball team of the Racing Club-de-France for playing matches at Calicut, Hyderabad and Delhi on the invitation of the Volleyball Federation (July-August, 1978) ;
(v) The Austrailian and New Zealand Railways Golf teams to participate in the Golden Jubilee Year of Railway Sports Control Board Celebrations (November, 1978);
(vi) Football teams from the USSR, Iran, North Korea, Brazil, Republic of China and Kuwait to participate in the Indian Football Association Shield tournament (August, 1978) ;
(vii) Football teams from USSR, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Federal Republic of Germany and Burma to participate in the DCM Football Tournament (October-November, 1978);
(viii) Billiards and Snookers teams from U.K., Canada and Sri Lanka to participate in the International Open Invitational Billiards and Snookers (1979) Tournament at Bombay (February, 1979);
(ix) Pakistan Badminton team of 6 players to participate in the Thomas Cup contest 1978-79 (November, 1978).
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XI Commonwealth Games (Edmonton) The Government cleared an Indian Contingent of 42 players and 13 officials and one doctor at Government expenditure to participate in the XI Commonwealth Games held at Edmonton (Canada) from the 3rd to 12th August, 1978. The Indian Contingent comprised sportsmen and women in the following disciplines :
Athletics, Gymnastics, Swimming, Wrestling, Weightlifting, Shooting, Cycling, Badminton and Boxing.
The Indian contingent won 15 medals at these Games as detailed below :
Gold 5 (3 in Wrestling and 1 in each in Badminton and Weightlifting).
Silver 4 (3 in Wrestling and 1 in Weightlifting).
Bronze 6 (3 in Wrestling and 1 each in Athletics, Badminton and Boxing).
VIII Asian Games (Bangkok) The Government in consultation with the All India Council of Sports cleared the proposal of the Indian Olympic Association to send an Indian Contingent of 167 members consisting of 140 competitors, 24 coaches and managers, 1 Chef-de-Mission, 1 Secretary-cum-Treasurer and 1 doctor for participation in the VIII Asian Games held at Bangkok from 8th to 20th December, 1978. The sports disciplines for which competitors were cleared were Athletics. Hockey, Boxing, Volleyball, Wrestling, Yachting, Football, Cycling, Shooting, Lawn Tennis, Badminton, Weightlifting and Archery.
The Indian contingent has done creditably well by bagging 11 Gold, 11 Silver and 6 Bronze Medals which is an improvement on India's performance at the VII Asian Games held at Tehran in 1974 where India got 4 Golds, 12 Silver and 12 Bronze Medals.
The Medal-tally of the Indian contingent at the VIII Asian Games was as under :
Gold 11 (Athletics 8, Wrestling 2 and Shooting 1).
Silver 11 (Athletics 7, Wrestling 1, Hockey 1, Boxing 1, Yatching 1).
Bronze 6 (Athletics 3, Boxing 2, Tennis 1).
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A 4-member Indian delegation led by Shri D.S. Gulshan, Minister of State in the Ministry of Education and Social Welfare was deputed to attend the VIII Asian Games and to submit to Government report on the performance of the Indian contingent. The other Members of the delegation were
(i) Shri M.R. Krishana, M.P., Member, All India Council of Sports.
(ii) Shri A.S. Talwar, Deputy Secretary (Sports) Minis- try of Education & S.W.
The leader of the delegation, Shri Gulshan was also accompanied by his Private Secretary, Shri Bharpur Singh.
IX Asian Games, 1982 The Government have approved the proposal of the Indian Olympic Association of hosting the IX Asian Games at New Delhi in 1982. The Asian Games Federation at its meeting held on the 18th December, 1978 at Bangkok unanimously reconfirmed its decision to award the 1982 Asian Games to New Delhi.
As per the estimates, Organisation of the Asian Games is likely to involve a total expenditure of Rs. 21 crores excluding Rs. 6.80 crores to be spent by the Delhi Administration, New Delhi Municipal Committee, Delhi Municipal Corporation, Delhi Development Authority and other bodies put together, on the development of sports facilities to be made available for use in Asian Games 1982. These estimates are based on the expectation that 17 sports disciplines, including Kabaddi as a demonstration game, will be included in the 1982 Asian Games.
Establishment of Equestrian Federation At the initiative of the Equestrian Federation of India, Asian Games Federation at its meeting held at Bangkok in December, 1978 has approved formation of the Asian Equestrian Federation with its Headquarters at New Delhi and with General O.P. Malhotra, Chief of the Army Staff, Indian Army, as its President.
Insurance for Sports Competitors The Government, on the recommendation of the All India Council of Sports, have decided that all sportsmen and women who undergo coaching/training at the Netaji Subhas National
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Institute of Sports, Patiala or under its supervision for participa- tion in important International sports events abroad like the Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and the Olympics, shall be insured at Government expenses for a sum of Rs. 1 lakh each for a period up to six months against temporary, partial or total disablement or death. The period of insurance will cover the period of coaching camps at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports, Patiala and the period of international sports events.