Rajnath Singh lays pitch, National Games to return to Uttar Pradesh after over 75+ years?

Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday laid the pitch for Uttar Pradesh, particularly Lucknow, to host the National Games after an over 75-year gap as he urged chief minister Yogi Adityanath to hold the next edition of the event here.

Lucknow hosted its first and only National Games in 1948, also the first one in free India. In the pre-independence years, the first National Games in Uttar Pradesh was organised in 1930 at Allahabad (now Prayagraj).

Soon after the defence minister made his remarks, the Uttar Pradesh Olympic Association (UPOA) announced its full support to the Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh Government, if it makes a bid to host the National Games in future.

The UPOA confirmed that if the National Games were held in Lucknow, it would be the second time the city hosts the prestigious event, adding that efforts to hold the event in the state in 2002 and 2005 had not borne fruit.

“The National Games here were organised over 75 years ago,” Singh, the Lucknow MP, who is on a three-day visit to his Lok Sabha constituency, said while inaugurating the Sansad Khel Mahakumbh at KD Singh Babu Stadium in the state capital earlier in the day.

“Yogiji, organise the next National Games in Uttar Pradesh,” he urged the chief minister.

Later in the day, UPOA secretary general Anandeshwar Pandey said that if the government gives the go-ahead, the sporting body can bid for the next National Games even though it has already been awarded to Meghalaya government.

“It will be a new chapter in sporting history of Lucknow as well as Uttar Pradesh, if we hold the National Games in the near future,” UPOA’s Pandey said, adding that there was no dearth of sporting infrastructure in the state.

Technically, the Indian Olympic Association allocates the hosting rights to a state Olympic association, which conducts the event with the support of both the state and the central government.

For his part, Rajnath Singh also said, “Lucknow has been famous for its sporting culture. When the National Games were organised for the first time after independence, it was held in Lucknow in 1948. Even after that, national and international sporting events are being organised here from time to time.”

“We take sports very seriously. Today, our government is making every effort to organise the Olympic Games in 2036 in Gujarat, while efforts are also being made to host other world-class games in India,” he further said.

Rajnath Singh went on to say that the legendary hockey player KD Singh Babu, after whom this stadium is known, had spent a long time in Lucknow.

Also, Major Dhyanchand, who is called the magician of hockey, had groomed and refined the sports culture here, added Singh.

Lucknow has also been the karmabhoomi of his son Ashok Kumar and famous Olympian Jamanlal Sharma.

India’s first astro-turf was also installed in the Sports College here Lucknow in the 80s. IPL matches are being held in Lucknow these days and people are enjoying them too, said Singh.

“There was a time when the Sheesh Mahal Trophy cricket tournament was organised at this KD Singh Babu Stadium and big cricket players of Team India were seen playing in Lucknow. Even though that tournament does not happen now, its memories still remain,” Singh said.

The defence minister said the society’s perception about sports and players has changed.

Today, parents want their children to become players and athletes like Leander Paes, Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, PV Sindhu and Neeraj Chopra, he added.

Singh coined a new quote reflecting the present-day perspective towards sports: “You’ll become a Nawab if you study, and an even greater Nawab if you study and play sports.”

He contrasted with the old saying: “Kheloge kudoge hoge kharaab, parhoge, likhoge to banoge Nawab (You’ll be ruined if you play, but you’ll become a Nawab if you study)”

Rajnath Singh said it was once believed that devoting time to sports was a waste of time.

The new saying suggests that combining education with sports can lead to even greater success and achievement. It emphasises the importance of balancing academic pursuits with physical activity and sports.

Around 7500 students from 350 schools of Lucknow are taking part in the four-day event.

Singh also felicitated six ground staff of the stadium and gave them ₹11,000 each.

He also felicitated five coaches, including RP Singh and veteran sports journalists.

Singh also feted secretary, sports and youth welfare department, Suhas LY, a medal-winning Paralympian.

Meanwhile, Anandeshwar Pandey, who is also ex-treasurer of the Indian Olympic Association, said, “At the end of the National Games in Uttarakhand recently, the Meghalaya government claimed the hosting rights of the next National Games, but if the UP government is ready for this, the UPOA can start bidding process and the Games can be conducted within a year’s time.”

Pandey said even in 2002, UPOA had won the hosting rights to conduct the National Games in Lucknow, but the then state government had failed to support the UPOA’s effort.

“In 2005, all our efforts to conduct the National Games in Lucknow went in vain as then the Sports Code was supposed to be implemented in the state, threatening the seizure of all the rights of the sporting bodies in the state,” he said, adding, If the UPOA had been supported, we would have conducted the National Games even then.”

He also said that there is no dearth of sporting infrastructure in the state, and what they need right now is their upgrade to international standards.

“Lucknow has been the sporting hub of Uttar Pradesh and not only the Indian Premier League matches or the big-time cricket matches are happening, but big events of badminton, tennis and even hockey are also happening on regular basis,” he said.

“Unlike in Uttarakhand where events of different disciplines during the National Games were organized in neighbouring districts of the state capital Dehradun, here in Lucknow we have all the facilities to conduct the National Games,” added Pandey, who is also secretary of the Uttar Pradesh Handball Association.

Uttar Pradesh’s director sports RP Singh said that facilities at the state government’s Guru Gobind Singh Sports College are good enough to host the National Games, even if the government decides to host the Games within a year’s time.

“Sports College has the facilities for hockey, athletics, football, the Vijayant Khand Stadium has already hosted the Davis Cup and the Uttar Pradesh Badminton academy is the best suited place for the conduct of badminton event,” he said, adding, “Besides this, we have facilities at the Sports Authority of India Centre.”

“We can hold water sports events at Gorakhpur, which has the one of the best facilities for the sport in the country, and for cycling events, we can conduct the event in neighbouring state in New Delhi,” said RP Singh, a former India hockey player and currently chairman of the selection committee of Hockey India.