There's new new vision for sports in state and country: UP CM Adityanath
Varanasi (UP): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday said that in recent years sports in the state and the country have been guided by a new vision, new resources and renewed confidence.
The emerging "new sports culture," guided by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has strengthened discipline, fitness, and team spirit among the youth, he said.
"Now, sports are not just a hobby, but a powerful medium for personality development and nation-building," Adityanath said.
He said that modern sports infrastructure, transparent selection processes, and schemes implemented in a mission-mode have increased opportunities for young athletes.
"Competitions have been expanded from the village panchayat level to the national level. As a result, players from Uttar Pradesh are participating in and winning many more medals in international competitions than ever before," he said.
Adityanath was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship held in Varanasi, which was virtually inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the presence of the UP Chief Minister, an MoU was exchanged between the Sports Authority of India and the Uttar Pradesh Sports Directorate for the operation of the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), the UP government said in a statement.
Adityanath also said that in the last 11-11.5 years, every Indian has witnessed the flourishing of a new sports culture in the country. In 2014, Prime Minister Modi, through the Khelo India Khelo initiative, instilled a sense of respect for sports in the hearts of every Indian, he said.
The CM said after 43 years, the Senior National Volleyball Championship is being organised in Uttar Pradesh by the Varanasi Municipal Corporation.
This event is a result of the inspiration, guidance, and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
The state-of-the-art infrastructure visible at the Sampurnanand Sports Stadium is also a result of PM Modi's vision, the CM said.
"These facilities have been developed under the Smart City project. Now, under the MoU signed between the Uttar Pradesh government and SAI (Sports Authority of India), a new platform will be available for training players under the guidance of SAI and its coaches."
Adityanath said that in the last 8-8.5 years, efforts have been made to promote sports competitions in Uttar Pradesh.
"Efforts have been initiated to develop sports activities at every level, including the construction of playgrounds in every village, stadiums in every district, mini-stadiums at every development block level, and open gyms as a priority in the works undertaken by urban local bodies and gram panchayats.
"As a result, our players are participating in national, Olympic, Commonwealth, and international world championships and winning many more medals than before," he said.
The Chief Minister also conducted a site inspection of the stadium. He inspected the gym and its equipment.
Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, UP Sports Minister Girish Chandra Yadav, ministers Ravindra Jaiswal and Dayashankar, and others were present on this occasion.
