Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the 38th National Games on Tuesday at the opening ceremony held at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Dehradun.
38th National Games Opening Ceremony
The opening ceremony of the 38th National Games was marked with a special moment when Indian badminton star Lakshya Sen carried the National Games torch to the stage where Modi was joined by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and other dignitaries.
Modi Speaks At 38th National Games Opening Ceremony
During his speech to the spirited audience, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi underlined the relevance of the National Games, as it marks a milestone for the state of Uttarakhand. Modi talked about how different sporting initiatives, like the Khelo India Youth Games, had helped young athletes shine in their performances. He also referred to the University Games, where university students are given an opportunity to display their skills, and the Khelo India Para Games, which have helped improve the performance of Para athletes.
Support For Athletes And Infrastructure
Reflecting on the recently held 5th edition of Khelo India Winter Games at Ladakh and the Beach Games held last year, Modi was confident in his opinion about India’s athletes. He mentioned how the Government continuously supported sports throughout the last ten years, even stating that sports’ budget increased more than tripled in ten years. The Prime Minister also referred to the TOPS scheme through which hundreds of crores of rupees had been invested in athletes and efforts on to create modern sports infrastructure all over the country.
Mainstreaming Sports In Schools And Universities
Modi further emphasized mainstreaming sports in schools and India’s first sports university opening in Manipur.
Athlete Participation At 38th National Games
The 38th National Games, scheduled for 18 days, will be attended by around 10,000 athletes and officials of teams from 38 states. Besides Dehradun, the following cities will be hosting events: Haridwar, Nainital, Haldwani, Rudrapur, Shivpuri and New Tehri.
The Sportz Planet Desk,
Atharva Shetye