During the selection procedure, more attention is paid to the certificates rather than current performance of the players who come to avail the wing facilities, leaving many aspirng athletes on the sidelines. There has been a negligible increase in the diet money over the last five years. In the 1992-93 academic session, the diet money for hostlers was Rs 16 per head per day and for non-hostlers it was Rs 8 for per head per day.

In the current academic session the players in the sports wings would be getting Rs 20 (hostlers) and Rs 10 (non-hostlers).

It is clear in the terms and conditions that sportspersons availing wing will get the diet money every day in the form of refreshment. However, some of the colleges give cash amount to the players and that too at the end of the academic year. ``I got Rs 1780 from my college,'' said one of the basketball players, who was on the sports wing in a private college.

Since the wings are only for a period of six months, some of the players who are from poor famalies, struggle to pay the college dues for the remaining period of the year. ``My college authorities are a bit generous and they help me financially. Otherwise it would have been difficult for me to stay in the hostel,'' said a softball player.

Most of the colleges, particularly the government colleges do not have proper playing facilities. The trainers employed by the colleges to train the players of the sports wings are generally in the form of a former player or a veteran or sometimes the secretaries of associations. This is against the rules of the Sports Department. ``Most of the trainers who come to our college to impart coaching to the sportspersons are not diploma holders,'' said a physical education teacher of one of the college pleading anonymity.

The ground facilities are also in deplorable conditions in some colleges while others completely lack even the basic equipment for the players.

Recently a private college converted their basketball court into a parking lot while another -- which boasts of having the best basketball team -- do not have a proper basketball court, leave alone other playing facilities. A Government College in the Southern part of the City lacks even a single volleyball court.

But the same college has been allotted sports wings seats by the Sports Department. ``We have sent the proposal to the higher authorities. It includes a six-lane track,'' said the physical education teacher of the college. But nothing has been done in that direction so far.

It is also clear in the guidelines that all sportspersons who avail the sports wings seats would participate in Chandigarh state championships in their respective disciplines and should be available if selected to represent Chandigarh in the nationals. But it is not so.

Most of the institutions do not take part in the state meets. Some Of the players who get selected for the national meets, back out at the last moment. ``There is no representation from the colleges in the state meet,'' said a member of the Chandigarh Basketball Association.

Last year, despite the fact that one of the leading women's college had more than eight handball players in the wings, members of the Chandigarh Handball Association had to run from pillar to post to arrange a 12-member team for the National women handball championship. Last year, instead of making certain changes, the wings were scraped by the Sports Department. It however, drew flak from various colleges particularly the government. Though, the wings were revived, but the selections were done in a haphazard manner.

This year, however, some of the colleges who have shown no improvement in their overall performance during the Punjab University Inter-Collegiate meets have been allotted wings seats. The allotment of the seats to a particular college is based on the performance in the previous year during the PU meets.

JPS Sidhu, Joint Director sports when contacted said that certain rules have been framed to check the malpractice like the issuing of the identity cards of sportspersons who avail the sports wings facilities. ``The co-ordinators would go for a regular checking and also check the identity cards of the players so that there is no discrepancy, '' he said.