Khaki top draw for Haryana's sport stars

NEW DELHI: Khaki remains a top draw for Haryana's prominent sportspersons.
No wonder, though the Haryana Police is urging sportspersons to join the sports department, the latter are hell-bent to become cops.
Haryana DGP R S Dalal explained the predicament at hand. The craze for police jobs among sportspersons may soon lead to need for an increase in quota for players, Haryana's top cop told TOI.
"In Haryana, joining police is a big thing, and it's still a sought-after profession.Sportspersons are not interested to join sports department," he added.
Haryana Police boasts of 12 deputy superintendents of police (DSPs) from the sports category, including boxers Vijender and Jitender Kumar, wrestler Geetika Jhakar, cricketer Joginder Sharma and mountaineer Mamta Kharab. The last appointments in this category were made in the later half of 2010.
"We can't take many more as DSPs. Hence, some of the sportspersons could be appointed as inspectors and sub-inspectors. But inducting sportspersons in police service has done a world of good to the department. Cops are enthused to see sportspersons among themselves," the DGP explained.
Sources said with the state doing well in sports – by winning one-third of medals in the Commonwealth Games and bagging the second highest medals in the last National games – there is a likelihood of more sportspersons vying for police jobs.