Govt is committed to providing jobs to young players, says Yogi

Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership has sparked a new era of healthy competition in India, rekindling enthusiasm among the youth for sports and athletics.

Speaking at Lok Bhavan on Saturday during a programme where appointment letters were distributed to 227 constables selected under the skilled player quota by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board, the chief minister hailed the Khelo India and Fit India movements as a “revolution” that has provided a platform for talented young players over the past two years.

Yogi highlighted the ongoing efforts to develop sports infrastructure at the village panchayat level to encourage young athletes. “The revenue department is facilitating land exchanges for this purpose, while sports grounds are being established near schools to ensure that children in villages have safe spaces to play and practice, rather than resorting to the streets,” Yogi said.

In the first phase, the construction of mini stadiums at the developmental block level is already underway, with plans for a stadium in each district, as mentioned by the CM.

Chief Minister emphasised the programmes being conducted to ignite interest in sports among the youth, including the formation of Youth Welfare Committees and Women Welfare Committees in every village panchayat. These initiatives aim to provide support and facilities for athletes at all levels. As part of this endeavor, sports kits have already been distributed to 65,000 individuals across the state. Uttar Pradesh takes pride in being the first state in India to honor Tokyo and Paralympic athletes with cash rewards. To streamline the recruitment process and recognize the passion of young athletes, the mandate of the personnel department has been amended, resulting in the selection of a record-breaking 579 players in the Uttar Pradesh Police force.

Lalit Upadhyay and Vijay Yadav were recently appointed as deputy superintendent of police and deputy tehsildar, respectively, along with Divya Kakran, who also received an appointment letter as deputy tehsildar during the ceremony.