India’s soft power will increase with growth of sports culture in country: PM

Patna: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that India’s soft power will increase with the growth of sports culture in the country and his government is focussed on modernising the sports infrastructure, keeping in mind the dream of hosting the 2036 Olympic Games.

Modi also said that a major chunk of Rs 4,000 crore sports Budget for the year was being used for the purpose as the government is determined to bring the world’s biggest sporting show in the country.

Modi made these comments while virtually inaugurating the seventh edition of the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar.

“Sports is now making its mark as a culture in Bihar. And the more Indian sports culture grows, the more India’s soft power will also grow,” Modi said in his video message which was played soon after Bihar CM Nitish Kumar addressed the gathering.

The Khelo India Youth Games will be held across five cities in Bihar from May 4 to 15. New Delhi will also host a few events.

Modi said his government has developed a sporting ecosystem, keeping in mind the target of hosting Olympic Games.

“It has been a dream of every Indian to have the Olympics in India. Today, India is trying to hold the Olympics in 2036.”

India is likely to fight it out with countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, South Korea, Indonesia and Chile for the 2036 Olympics hosting rights.

India has officially submitted its Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to host the 2036 Games, but which other countries have also done so is not officially known yet.

“The government’s focus is also on modernising the sports infrastructure in India. In the past decade, the Budget for sports has increased by more than three times,” PM Modi said.

“At present, the Budget for sports is about Rs 4,000 crores. A large part of this Budget is being spent on sports infrastructure. Today, more than 1,000 Khelo India centres are operating in India. More than three dozen of these centres are in Bihar,” he said.

Modi said sports is not something restricted to playing areas, it has expanded,

becoming a career option for thousands of people in the country.

“The world of sports and the economy related to sports are not limited to just sports. Today, the youth are being given new opportunities for employment and self-employment.

“There is physiotherapy, data analytics, sports technology, broadcasting, e-sports, management, etc. There are many sub-sectors in sports. A stadium is no longer just a pitch, it has become a source of employment for thousands.”

The PM urged the participating athletes to compete

hard and learn during the Games and take back happy memories.