New Delhi, Aug 27 (IANS) Union Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday said he was "pleased" to see "so many people" attending Prime Minister Narendra Modi's virtual Khelo India Samvaad. Modi addressed the youth and emphasised the importance of sports and fitness in people's lives.
Rijiju stated that the big attendance for Modi's virtual address left him "pleased". "I was very pleased to see so many people attend the Prime Minister’s Khelo India Samvaad and with the way the programme was organised at Hindu College," Rijiju told the media.
"The main point is the message given by the Prime Minister to athletes and youth to fulfil their dreams and take flight towards achieving their aspirations. The Prime Minister has presented a vision for this. He mentioned this in his Independence Day speech as well, and today again, the Prime Minister reiterated that the Government of India is providing full support to take the youth forward in the world of sports," he added.
Meanwhile, the Union Minister also heaped praise on Modi's Khelo India program, stating that the event has reached India's youth. "The PM Modi government started this initiative in 2014 itself. Khelo India was not launched just recently. Prime Minister Modi launched Khelo India a long time ago, and it has already reached the youth," he added.
Meanwhile, Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat also spoke on Modi's virtual address, praising the PM for his efforts in the Khelo India program. "The event was organised at the NIFT Jodhpur. I would like to congratulate the NIFT Director, the NIFT family, and all the volunteers of My Bharat for the successful organisation of the program," Shekhawat said.
He also praised Modi's efforts in the area of sports. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has led several important initiatives, including Khelo India, Khelega India to Khilega India. These efforts aim to encourage the youth of the country to participate in sports and provide them with better opportunities," he added.
Modi called for India to broaden its participation across Olympic disciplines, saying the country must develop athletes in sports where it has traditionally had little or no representation, as part of preparations for the 2036 Olympics. Addressing youngsters, Modi said a nationwide talent hunt targeting children aged 5 to 15 would be crucial for identifying athletes early and training them in sports suited to their abilities.
"This time, from the Red Fort, I drew the country's attention to a major challenge in sports. This challenge is related to the Olympics. The bitter truth is that India's teams don't participate in half of the sports that are a part of the Olympics."
PM Modi said India's limited participation had remained a longstanding concern and directly affected the country's prospects in the overall medal standings. "That is, we do not compete for a very large part of the medal tally. And this has been the situation for a long time now. In the 2012 Olympics, India participated in only 13 sports. In more than 20 sports, India did not participate."
The Prime Minister cited disciplines such as surfing and sports climbing as areas where India could build a stronger presence, given the country's diverse geography.
"There are so many sports whose names people in the country have probably heard of. Other countries win medals in those sports. And we do not participate in those sports. We have to acquire the skills in these sports to increase the medal tally in these sports as well. For example, surfing and sports climbing."
--IANS
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