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Saansad Khel Mahakumbh in Gorakhpur: PM Modi lays stress on developing sporting talent at grassroots
Prime Minister Narendra Modi says there’s been a three-fold hike in sport ministry budget since 2014, underlines the importance of sports meets at the regional level
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid stress on developing sporting talent at the grassroots level and said the Centre had increased the sports ministry’s budget by three times since 2014.
The prime minister was virtually addressing the closing ceremony of the Saansad Khel Mahakumbh being held in Gorakhpur.
He expressed confidence that the event would lay the foundation stone for making India a sports superpower.
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath and local MP Ravi Kishan were present at the venue of the event.
The Prime Minister recalled the time when sports and games were part of village fairs where such activities were organised in the “akhadas”. He lamented that these traditions are fading away.
He referred to the physical education classes in schools that were relegated to “time-pass periods” and said this had led to the country losing three or four generations of sporting talent.
Hailing events like “Saansad Khel Mahakumbh”, Modi said, “Competitions at the regional level not only showcase local talent, but also boost the morale of the sportspersons in the entire region.”
“The Saansad Khel Mahakumbh is a new route, a new system,” he said, adding that it has a huge role to play in highlighting the country’s potential in the world of sports.
“Saansad Khel Mahakumbh lays the robust foundation of a grand infrastructure for the future of sports,” the prime minister said.
He noted that all athletes had worked hard to reach this level and underlined that victory and defeat were part of sports as well as life.
Commenting on the initiative, Modi said folk singers, dancers, painters and musicians have also taken part in it.
“Be it those from the field of sports or arts or music, their spirit and energy are all the same,” the Prime Minister, who is the MP from Varanasi, said.
This was the third “Saansad Khel Mahakumbh” event that Modi addressed in the last few weeks.
Earlier, he had virtually addressed such events in Basti.
The Prime Minister reiterated the idea of creating new ways and systems if the country has to become a force to reckon with in the world of sports.
Highlighting the growing popularity of such events, he noted that 20,000 athletes had taken part in the first edition of the Gorakhpur Khel Mahakumbh and the number had gone up to 24,000, including 9,000 female athletes.
He also highlighted the importance of promoting millets, popularly known as “mota aanaj”, for the better health of youngsters.
EACH VILLAGE TO HAVE SPORTS NURSERY: YOGI ADITYANATH
Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday reiterated his government’s commitment to promoting a sports nursery in each village.
He also applauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi for bringing a revolutionary change in the perception of the youngsters about sports. Yogi Adityanath was addressing a gathering at the closing ceremony of the Sansaad Khel Mahakumbh event in Gorakhpur.
He said the Khelo India and Fit India programmes initiated by the government had enabled the youngsters to realise the importance of sports. Their performance and participation in national and international sports competitions had improved and they were getting more medals, the chief minister said.
He also said work on ensuring a sport ground in each village and mini-sports stadium in each block was underway in state. In addition, the state government was appointing international award winners to gazetted posts, he said.
(WITH AGENCY INPUTS)
