PM Modi envisioned growth of sports in country: Anurag Thakur

Union minister for sports, youth affairs, information and broadcasting Anurag Thakur on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi envisioned Khelo India Youth Games, University Games, Winter Games and started the Khelo India campaign.

“Today we can say that the largest ever multisport event in the world is the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) and the Khelo India campaign. I am thankful to PM Modi who envisioned this sports development in the country,” said Thakur while virtually welcoming the PM and other dignitaries on the occasion of the official opening of the KIUG-2022 on Thursday. He also thanked chief minister Yogi Adityanath for the grand event being held in Uttar Pradesh.

“Uttar Pradesh was the only state in the country which invited all the sportspersons of the country and honoured them when the PM boosted the morale of the sportspersons after coming from the Olympics. The mascot of KIUG, Jeetu, has also won everyone’s heart. We have sent a message to promote sports in every nook and corner of Uttar Pradesh through a torch rally,” he said.

“Today, people from all over the world have come to see and understand the KIUG. All efforts have been made to ensure that every player gets a coaching centre and a coach. PM Modi first increased the sports budget from ₹874 crore to 2,462 crore in a few years,” he said. “Hundreds of coaches got appointments. Not only this, now 1,000 Khelo India centres are going to be opened across the country before August 15, 2023,” Thakur said.

“Today our athletes are participating in more than 300 events. The KIUG-2022 is the biggest in terms of participation as only 3,000 players came in the first edition. This time, more than 4,700 players are coming for 21 sports from 208 universities,” he added.

“Like other subjects, sport has been given priority in the new education policy too. Competition is so much that there is a record participation in Youth Games, Winter Games and now University Games. Not only this, records have also been broken in every event and in this also the daughters of India have made the biggest contribution,” the minister said.

Many top players like Manu Bhaker, Aishwarya Pratap Tomar, Diya Chitale, Anshu Malik and Mehuli Ghosh are participating in it. They are also Olympians and have won medals for India in many international events.

“The work done by PM Modi to change the mindset is taking India towards becoming a sports superpower. Now players go to any big tournament thinking that there is something to do for India. Now there is no pressure on them, but there is a desire to do something. When they come back, hardly any PM in the world would give them as much respect as you,” he said to the PM.