Football likely focus as Telangana moots new sports policy

Football will be the likely focus as thegovernment looks to finalise a new Sports policy.

That they want to go the way Odisha government adopted hockey is clear but whether Telangana will succeed in reaping the rewards of promoting football is a moot point. To begin with, Odisha has a large pool of hockey players at the grassroots level.
Though former players here are gung-ho about the proposal, the

same cant be said of football in Telangana except for some pockets in the city. Hyderabad was once the feeder line for Indian football. But it has been reduced to a pale shadow due to rampant politics.

A policy similar to Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) is also being considered. It will help identify talent early so that athletes can be groomed.