Arrival of country’s talented players on the soil of Uttar Pradesh is a matter of pride for all of us - CM Yogi

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, while addressing the sports award ceremony organized in Lucknow said, "He feels extremely happy to be a part of this award ceremony of players, and even more pleased that this event is being held in the capital city of the state".

He also said, due to this ceremony, the country’s talented players have come to the land of Uttar Pradesh. This is not only a matter of pride for all of us, but it will also inspire the new generation of the state to achieve achievements in the field of sports. The sports award ceremony was organized by a private media group, in which renowned players and sports personalities from across the country were honored for their invaluable contributions.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said, "Sports is not limited to winning or losing, but it is a medium to achieve discipline, coordination, and excellence in life. The spirit of sports makes a person strong, gives courage to face adverse situations, and provides the right direction to the younger generation. Keeping this in mind, our government has made several meaningful efforts for the development of sports in Uttar Pradesh".

He stated, since 2017, our government has taken forward initiatives like “Khelo India” and “Fit India Movement,” started under the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a mission. Not only this, at present our government is developing one playground in every Gram Panchayat, one mini stadium in every block, and one stadium in every district of the state. An international stadium of BCCI has been constructed in Varanasi, and another international stadium is under construction in Gorakhpur.

He further informed, along with this, last year the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University was established in Meerut. Additionally, our government is striving to establish sports colleges and centers of excellence in all 18 divisions of the state, where local youth can be trained for national and international sports competitions through eminent players and experienced coaches in the sports field.

Chief Minister added, to provide respect and job security to players, our government has amended the sports policy and implemented a system of providing government jobs to players in the state, so that they can focus on their sport without worry. He said that he is pleased to inform that our government has provided government jobs to more than 500 talented players in various positions. Many of them are working as senior officers.

At the end of the ceremony, Chief Minister welcomed and congratulated the players who came from across the country and thanked the media group and organizing team for conducting the event. He said that such events not only honor players but also provide a platform to inspire the youth.

The program began with the welcome of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Sports Minister Girish Chandra Yadav, and President of the Indian Olympic Association P. T. Usha, along with other prominent personalities from the sports world. On this occasion, talented players of the country were honored for their invaluable contributions and achievements in the field of sports.

In this sequence, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath honored Leander Paes, who brought glory to the country in the field of tennis, with the ‘Mentor of the Year’ award. Similarly, former captain of the Indian women’s cricket team Mithali Raj was honored with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’, while hockey legend P. R. Sreejesh was also appreciated for his contribution.

During the program, Uttar Pradesh was awarded the ‘State of the Year’ award for the development of sports infrastructure and policies in the state. The ‘Team of the Year’ award was given to India’s women’s visually impaired cricket team, while the ‘Federation of the Year’ award was presented to the Board of Control for Cricket in India. It was also stated in the ceremony that this year, the media group honored more than 100 talented players across 45 categories in sports, who have elevated the country’s name at national and international levels through their talent and dedication.

Prominent personalities present at the event included international football player Bhaichung Bhutia, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla, cricketer Kuldeep Yadav, women cricketers Harmanpreet Kaur, Deepti Sharma, Harleen Deol, among others.