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The state
ministers lauded the steps taken by the Ministry to promote grassroot-level
sport as well as Olympic-level training in all the states.
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New Delhi(Agencies): Sports Ministers of 18 states and
union territories on Tuesday briefed Union Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju on
their post COVID-19 resumption plans on the opening day of a two-day virtual
meeting to chalk a way forward amid the pandemic.
The state ministers lauded the
steps taken by the Ministry to promote grassroot-level sport as well as
Olympic-level training in all the states.
“The ministers and officers made some very
valuable suggestions about sports and youth affairs related issues...briefed me
about their preparations for post COVID -- of ways to start sporting events and
training for athletes,” Rijju said in a statement after the meeting.
Representatives from Andhra
Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and
Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan,
Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, participated in Tuesday’s
meeting.
The other States/UTs will be
in the conference on Wednesday. “States are doing a very good job and the
Ministry is closely co-ordinating with them. I am sure we will come out with a
roadmap for the way forward, at the end of the conference,” Rijiju said while
addressing the state ministers.
The setting up of one Khelo
India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) in each state and following the ‘One
State One Sport’ policy found favour with the states, according to Rijiju.
The ministers and officials
showed keen interest in adopting one sport in which the state has traditionally
been strong.
“Our ministry will assist and fund the States
in the endeavour to achieve excellence in one or two sport. The KISCEs will
become the nodal centre for a particular sport where athletes can be groomed at
world-class facilities for Olympics,” Rijiju said.
“States can also choose to train athletes in
other sports, including traditional sports, but the focus should be on one or
two disciplines.” The state representatives said that setting up of 1000 Khelo
India Centres in all districts across the country will help to not just tap
local talent, but also create a culture of sport in the country.
Several states shared their
own success stories in promoting grassroot-level sport.
The meeting also discussed
ways to engage more volunteers of the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) and
National Service Scheme (NSS) to promote various schemes at the state level.
“The NYKS and NSS volunteers have done a
commendable job working alongside civil administration during COVID-19. There
are currently 75 lakh volunteers and we have decided to take that number up to
1 crore in Unlock 2,” Rijiju said.
“As the country opens up, our volunteers will
create awareness among all sections of society such as farmers, small business
owners and others, regarding the direct benefits that they can get through
being self-reliant.” He called upon the states to promote volunteers and
support them to work better.
“They
will be working directly with the district administration with minimal
intervention of the Centre.”
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