The Delhi Prisons Department will soon kick-start a brand new initiative to impart professional training to inmates of Tihar Jail in various sports, officials said on Sunday.
Prison officials said two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar, lodged within the Tihar jail after being arrested within the Chhatrasal Stadium brawl case which led to death of another wrestler, will be allowed to have interaction within the activities as a participant if he shows interest.
“Sushil Kumar is trained in wrestling but if he shows interest in playing badminton, volleyball or the other sports which is being organised under the new initiative, we’ll allow him to actively engage as a participant,” a senior jail official said.
This is the primary time that inmates of Tihar jail are trained in sports with the assistance of coaches during a more professional and scientific manner, jail officials said.
Under the initiative, sponsored by the Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) as a part of their CSR project, the inmates are trained in six sports — Kho-Kho, volleyball, badminton, basketball, chess and carrom, they said.
According to jail administration, the IOCL will send professional coaches to Tihar twice every week to coach interested inmates in each of those selected games.
They will also provide necessary sports equipments and jerseys for 20 inmates in each sports, a senior jail official said.
Director General (Delhi Prisons) Sandeep Goel said unitedly with IOCL, the inmates are going to be soon trained by professional coaches in various sports.
“Such activities will help create a positive and healthy atmosphere inside the prison. it’ll channelise their energy in a very positive direction and most significantly, will help keep themselves both physically and mentally fit in addition as healthy,” he said.
Jail officials said interested inmates and people who are already trained in such sports are going to be trained by the professional coaches so they’ll further engage other inmates in these games.
They said the feminine inmates lodged in central jail number six are trained in badminton, chess and carrom.
It will also help these inmates in enhancing their performance in their annually held inter-jail sports competitions, he said.
In the near future, such professional sports activities are going to be initiated in jails of Rohini and Mandoli further, jail officials said.
According to prison officials, for over a month now, no new Covid cases has been reported among the inmates or staffs Tihar, Rohini and Mandoli jails.
According to a contemporary data shared by authorities, 13,560 Covid vaccine doses are administered to inmates altogether the three jails, of which 11,609 were first doses and 1,951 were second jabs.
The total number of inmates and staff all told the three jails is 17,100, prison officials said.
