Rohtak MP: Let Haryana host Commonwealth Games

Deepender said Haryana, a state that brings 50% of the medals for the nation from the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics, has been ignored.

Congress MP from Rohtak Deepender Hooda on Tuesday said Haryana should be designated as a host or co-host state for the 2030 Commonwealth Games. The Lok Sabha MP said at a briefing that Haryana should also be considered for being designated as a co-host for the 2036 Olympics, a bid for which is being made by the central government.

The Congress MP said when India was given the opportunity to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the BJP government at the Centre did not choose Haryana as the host state.

Deepender said Haryana, a state that brings 50% of the medals for the nation from the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and Olympics, has been ignored. “In the last four Olympics, Haryana athletes won more than half of the country’s total medals. In the last Olympics, approximately 25% of the athletes were from Haryana. We are proud that since 2006, Haryana has contributed 50% of the medals and 25% of the athletes in all the games, including the Olympics,” he said.

The Congress MP said when India was given the opportunity to host the 2030 Commonwealth Games, the BJP government at the Centre did not choose Haryana as the host state. “Instead, Gujarat was selected. Crores will now be invested in Ahmedabad for the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and sports infrastructure will be built. Why is this sports infrastructure and stadiums not built in Haryana,” he said.

Deepender said every state in India has its own characteristics and its own strengths. “When it comes to minerals, Odisha comes first. Punjab’s lyricists and singers are renowned worldwide. When it comes to literature, literary figures like Bankim Chandra Chatterjee and Rabindranath Tagore are considered to be from Bengal. Gujarat’s traders have their own identity. But when it comes to sportspersons, Haryana’s athletes have left no stone unturned in bringing glory to the country,” he said.

The MP said the central government has announced the submission of official bids to host the 2036 Olympics in Gujarat. Now, the entire sports budget will be spent in Gujarat. But if this kind of investment is made in Haryana, our athletes can win more medals. Making Haryana at least a co-host state for the 2030 Commonwealth Games and 2036 Olympics would have diverted funds from the budget to Haryana’s sports infrastructure and improved the state’s sports infrastructure,” he said.

The Lok Sabha MP alleged that Haryana received the lowest budget for Khelo India games. “Gujarat received ₹600 crore of the country’s ₹3,500 crore Khelo India budget. Haryana, which won the most medals, received only ₹80 crore, the lowest among the 28 states. “The 481 sports stadiums built during the previous Congress government, including the Rajiv Gandhi Sports Stadium and numerous international-level stadiums are in bad shape and are proving fatal for athletes. After 2019, these stadiums have been left without repairs, upgrades, or new ones. Sports equipment remains scarce, not to mention the lack of proper infrastructure,” he said.