UP has become the ‘sangam’ of athletes: PM Modi after inaugurating the Khelo India University Games | More Sports News – trendswire

LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh has become a ‘sangam’ of athletes from across the country, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday after inaugurating the Khelo India College Games.
Addressing the inaugural event virtually, Modi said the Commonwealth Games scam it demonstrated the previous government’s approach to sport.
The scam arose during the tenure of the Congress-led UPA II government in 2010.
“Before, no attention was paid to the development of sports. Sports were seen as just a means to spend free time. But today, I am happy that the perception of society and parents has changed in the country.” said the prime minister. saying.

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh yogi adityanath and Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Thakur were among those present at the event.
This year, the khelo india The University Games will be held from May 25 to June 3 in Uttar Pradesh. More than 4,750 athletes from more than 200 universities will compete in 21 sports. Competitions will be organized in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Modi said that 4,000 athletes participating in the games come from different states and regions and welcomed them as a member of the state parliament.
He expressed his satisfaction that the closing ceremony of the event will take place in Varanasi, which is his parliamentary constituency.

Noting the importance of hosting the third edition of the games when India celebrates ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, Modi said the event has become an excellent means of instilling the spirit of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’ along with the spirit of equipment.
Modi said that in the past nine years, a new era of sports began in India that is not just about making India a great power in sports, but also about empowering the society through sports.
The prime minister recalled the previous period of indifference when sports failed to get the necessary support from governments. This made it extremely difficult for poor, middle-class, and rural children to excel in sports. As a result, many parents ignored sports because it was limited in scope as a career, Modi said while underlining the “big change” in attitude towards sports among parents.
“Sports is now seen as an attractive profession and Khelo India Abhiyan has played an important role in that,” he said.
He also spoke about the “insincerity” towards schemes like Panchayat Yuva Kreeda and Khel Abhiyan, later renamed Rajiv Gandhi Abhiyan, launched during the Congress regime while lamenting the absence of sports infrastructure before the BJP came to power in the Center in 2014.
“This is all changing,” he said.
Regarding urban sports infrastructure, the PM said that previous governments spent only Rs 300 crore in six years, while under ‘Khelo India’, Rs 300 crore was spent on sports infrastructure, making it easier for more athletes to practice sports.
He expressed his satisfaction that around 30,000 athletes have participated in the Khelo India Games so far, of which 1,500 are receiving financial assistance.
The budget for sports has tripled compared to nine years ago. He said that even rural and remote areas now have better sports infrastructure.
Modi reported that the National Education Policy has proposed to take sport as a subject where it will be part of the curriculum, and the construction of the country’s first National Sports University will further strengthen the cause.
In the states, the prime minister reported, efforts are being made towards higher education specialized in sports.
He said that Uttar Pradesh is doing a very commendable job and gave the example of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut while noting that 1,000 Khelo India Centers are being established across the country.
He reported that around 12 National Centers of Excellence have been put into operation where support is provided for training and support in sports science to improve performance.
“Khelo India has also restored the prestige of traditional Indian sports,” the PM said while highlighting the scholarships awarded by the government to encourage various indigenous sports such as Gatka, Mallakhamb, Thang-ta, Kalaripayattu and Yogasan.
Noting the encouraging result of the increased participation of women in the ‘Khelo India’ programme, Modi reported that the Khelo India Women’s League is being organized in various cities across the country.
“About 23,000 female athletes of different age groups have participated so far,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted the great participation of female athletes in the Khelo India University Games and conveyed his best wishes to them.
“The progress of India is in your talent, in your progress. You are the future champion”, remarked the prime minister, stressing that it is the responsibility of the athletes to take the glory of the tricolor to new heights.
Speaking about sportsmanship and team spirit, the prime minister wondered if he just accepts defeat and victory and teamwork.
“A winner becomes a great player only when he always follows sportsmanship and dignity. A winner becomes a great player only when the society is inspired by his every conduct,” the prime minister said, according to a statement. .
The university games are part of various schemes launched by the government to support budding sportsmen and efforts have been made to strengthen the sports ecosystem in the country.
The games mascot is called ‘Jitu’, which stands for Swamp Deer (Barasingha), the state animal of Uttar Pradesh. The closing ceremony of the games will be held in Varanasi on June 3.