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Govt to provide space for water sports complex near Ramgarh Lake: UP CM
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 25th Sub Junior National Rowing Championship in Gorakhpur, Yogi highlights his government’s commitment to expanding water sports across the state’s lakes.
GORAKHPUR Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced on Saturday that the government would allocate dedicated space for the Rowing Federation of India in a new water sports complex near Ramgarh Lake, aiming to establish a world-class rowing centre. Speaking at the closing ceremony of the 25th Sub Junior National Rowing Championship near Ramgarh Lake, Yogi highlighted his government’s commitment to expanding water sports across the state’s lakes.
The chief minister emphasized the immense potential for rowing in Uttar Pradesh, noting the state’s natural resources and the opportunity to cultivate world-class talent. “Our rowers have the ability to compete and win medals in the Olympics and other international events,” he said. “In response to the Rowing Federation of India’s request, we will provide space for a world-class water sports complex near Ramgarh Lake, focusing on developing rowing talent.” CM Yogi also affirmed that the state would offer comprehensive support for the new centre’s development.
Yogi Adityanath celebrated the achievements of Uttar Pradesh athletes, including Laxman awardee and Youth Welfare Officer Qudrat Ali, along with rowers Arvind Singh, Mohammad Raza, Lokesh Kumar and Rajesh Kumar, who brought laurels to the state in Asian and international competitions. He underlined the role of sports in fostering both physical and mental well-being, as well as the promising career paths it opened.
To support this vision, the CM shared that the state government had introduced a sports policy that included providing government jobs for UP athletes who have won medals in the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. He cited the example of Lalit Upadhyay, a Tokyo Olympic hockey medalist, who was appointed as deputy superintendent of police (DySP) in UP Police. Over 500 athletes in the state had been given government jobs so far, the CM said.
Underlining the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives like “Khelo India,” “Sansad Khel,” and “Fit India Movement,” the chief minister noted that these programmes fostered a nationwide environment for sports. He shared that Uttar Pradesh’s “double-engine government” was committed to promoting sports and supporting athletes across the state.
Further highlighting the state’s initiatives, CM Yogi said that sports infrastructure was being developed across 57,000 gram panchayats, each now featuring a sports stadium, while every block in the state had a mini-stadium. The first world-class sports university in Meerut, named after legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand, was under construction, the CM said and encouraged youths to engage in sports activities. Additionally, he mentioned that experienced athletes were being hired as coaches, receiving an honorarium of ₹1.5 lakh per month, with Padma Shri awardees receiving an additional ₹20,000 monthly as financial assistance.
The chief minister also noted that Ramgarh Lake had become a popular destination for sports and tourism, now featuring new hotels and a floating restaurant and extended Diwali greetings, urging citizens to channel positive energy toward the nation’s progress.
Thes national rowing event in Gorakhpur was hosted at Ramgarh Lake for the second time this year. Sports minister Gireesh Chandra Yadav highlighted the state government’s commitment to develop infrastructure to promote sports. Raj Lakshmi Singh Dev, national president of the Rowing Federation of India and Rani Pakshalika Singh, chairman of Uttar Pradesh Rowing Association were also present.
In the competition, Maharashtra emerged as the overall champions in both the boys’ and girls’ categories, and the chief minister presented medals to the winners.
