Guwahati, Feb 19 (PTI) Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Monday said the government was focussed on ensuring that the country is among the top-five medal winners in international meets within the next 20 years.
He encouraged young players, particularly at university levels, to concentrate on their sporting disciplines, noting that their counterparts from other countries contribute significantly to the number of participants and medal winners for top-performing nations.
Participating at the inaugural ceremony of Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2023 here, Thakur said, “We have set our eyes on hosting the Youth Olympics in 2029 and the summer Olympics in 2036. But our target is not just hosting the mega competitions. We also want to move up in the medals tally.” “We are targeting to ensure that India is in top-10 of medals tally by 2036, and in the top five by 2046,” the sports and youth affairs minister added.
Exhorting youngsters to perform well, he said majority of the players representing nations such as the UK and USA are from universities and the KIUG has been started with the focus on improving performance of players from the varsity level.
“The KIUG is more than just a battleground for medals. It is a celebration of unity, sporting spirit and individual growth. You have to perform well here today so that in future you can win top medals at international meets and bring glory to the nation,” Thakur added.
The minister pointed that the country’s performance at different international meets has improved over the years, with the teams at the last Asian Games, Para Asian Games and world university games returning with best-ever tallies.
Thakur also asserted the importance the Narendra Modi-led government has been putting on Northeastern region, which is hosting this edition of the KIUG.
When mega international sport meets happen in India, the region will also be hosting these, he maintained.
“The Modi government works on ‘Act East Policy’ and not ‘Look East Policy’. And when you (participants) travel across the region for the Games, you will see for yourself the work being done here,” he said.
He lauded the Assam government for the opening ceremony which showcased the dance and music of NE states.
Over 4,500 athletes from more than 200 universities are participating in this fourth edition of the KIUG. Traditional sports are also part of the competitions, he added.
Mentioning of sporting stars like Mary Kom, Baichung Bhutia, Mirabai Chanu and Lovlina Borgohain hailing from different parts of NE, Thakur hoped that more players will emerge from the region who will bring laurels for the country later.
Besides Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Tripura and Sikkim are hosting the fourth edition of the games which will conclude on February 29.
The KIUG is a part of the Indian government’s Khelo India initiative that was launched in 2016, focussing on promoting grassroots sports and identifying young talents from across the country.
The participants are vying for 262 gold, 263 silver and 297 bronze medals in 20 sports disciplines with competitions being held in 18 venues across seven Northeastern cities. PTI SSG MNB
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