U.P. 1st state to include sports sector in investors’ summit: Anurag Thakur

The minister added that U.P. is steadily becoming a sports hub in India by building a strong foundation for its athletes.

LUCKNOW In a first by any state, Uttar Pradesh has taken the initiative to include the sports sector in its investors’ summit, said Anurag Thakur, Union minister of youth affairs and sports, on Sunday. He was speaking during a Global Investors’ Summit session -- titled ‘Decoding the investment potential of the sports sector in Uttar Pradesh and its role in 1$ trillion economy’ -- at the Bhardwaj Hanger.

During the session, several esteemed panellists also shared their experiences. (Deepak Gupta)

The minister added that U.P. is steadily becoming a sports hub in India by building a strong foundation for its athletes. Praising the Yogi Adityanath government for organising the GIS, Thakur said, “In 2021, the U.P. government felicitated all Tokyo Olympics medallists, regardless of their state identities. It is common for states to felicitate their own players but for the first time, the U.P. government, under the leadership of chief minister Yogi Adityanath, took the initiative of felicitating Olympic medallists from the entire country, which is commendable.”

Thakur also pointed out how players from rural parts of India are performing really well. “We need more competitions, coaches, and trainers in India. U.P. has a population of 25 crore and its requirements are huge. We need size and scale to attract more investment. Not to forget, we need to speedily prepare the infrastructure for sportspersons,” the Union minister said.

Speaking during the session, Girish Chandra Yadav, minister of state for sports (independent charge), Youth Welfare Department, said, “The country is achieving a new dimension in the field of sports. Engaging in sports is good for health and enhances intellectual ability. It also instils the spirit of patriotism and physical fitness.” He also mentioned that stadiums have now been developed in all 75 districts of the state.

The minister further said, “The three sports colleges, which have been established in U.P, will pave the way for the players to move forward. Additionally, a sports university is being built in Meerut as well. Besides, the new sports policy takes care of the needs of the players. Under ‘One District One Sport’, a coach has been appointed in each district. Due to these efforts, U.P. will soon become a sports hub. This will also provide employment to the youths of the state.” He also assured that the U.P. government will extend full support to the investors investing in the state.

During the session, several esteemed panellists also shared their experiences. Olympic gold medallist and founder of Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre, Abhinav Bindra said, “For the first time, a session is being held on sports in an investors’ summit... Sports can play a vital role in the economy by generating revenue. There has also been a substantial increase in the budgetary allocation for sports this year. Our foundation will support athletes who have suffered injuries.”

Carlos Ezpeleta, chief strategy officer, Dorna (MotoGP), congratulated the U.P. government for the successful organisation of the summit. “MotoGP will showcase all the tourist destinations of U.P. to the world. We will invest ₹470 crore here,” he said. In a similar vein, cricketer Suresh Raina said that U.P. has a lot of potential and appreciated the efforts of CM Yogi. Also, Yannick Colaco, former national basketball player and founder of the Fancode, said that sports have a vast economic potential in terms of job creation.

Additional chief secretary, sports, Navneet Sehgal, said that PM Modi has laid emphasis on sports which remained neglected earlier. “The U.P. government came up with a new sports policy. We have a large number of youths and 30,000 sports grounds in the state,” he added.

During the event, Richard Barlow, head of political affairs, British High Commission, showed his Hindi skills while adding that he learnt the language in Kashi. “U.P. has produced some of the most successful athletes of India. I appreciate the efforts of the U.P. government in maintaining law and order in the state”, he said.

Other panellists who praised the U.P. government for organising the summit and pledged their support include -- Poul V Jensen, MD, European Business and Technology Centre; Benedicte de la Briere, lead economist; and Nidhi Pundir, vice president, Global CSR, HCL Foundation.