Chandigarh : Haryana Chief Minister Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that the government is going to launch a new initiative to take sports in Haryana to greater heights. He said that the State, which has already emerged as a powerhouse of sports and now children with an interest in sports will be identified at the village level and trained in the sport of their choice. For this purpose, panchayats, schools, and the sports department will work in close coordination, he said.
The Chief Minister said this while reviewing the 5-year roadmap and action plan of the Sports Department under Haryana Vision 2047 at the Haryana Civil Secretariat on Wednesday. He said that a proper inspection of all equipment installed in sports complexes across the state should be conducted to ensure that no player faces any accident.
The Chief Minister said that the Sports Department should ensure that stadiums should be built in villages as well so as to identify sports talent at grassroot levels. He said that the premises of the government schools in rural areas should be utilized for sports, and children interested in sports should be registered there.
The Chief Minister further said that Panchayats, schools, and the Sports Department should jointly prepare an action plan for this purpose. Children should be provided with the necessary environment and equipment in their respective sports of interest, which can bring a transformative change in the sports landscape of Haryana. Children who do not attend school should also be connected with sports to keep them away from addiction and negative influences, said Sh. Nayab Singh Saini.
Sh. Nayab Singh Saini said that long-term planning for the Olympics 2036 must begin at the earliest. For this, children aged 10–12 years should be identified, their sporting interests refined, and special training centres should be established for them. A district-wise and sport-wise database should be prepared to identify how many young individuals are interested in which sport in each region. Focus should then be placed on achieving excellence in those identified sports disciplines, said the Chief Minister.
The Chief Minister said that the Sports Department should develop a portal where complete records of children participating in sports at the block level are maintained. The data of winners and those actively practicing and participating in sports events should be maintained. He said that the Sports associations should also be integrated into this campaign. He further directed that photographs of local sportspersons who have achieved national or international recognition be displayed in all sports complexes to inspire children to actively participate in sports.
Director of Sports Department, Sh. Parth Gupta, while providing information about the department’s ongoing work and plans up to 2030, said that currently, there is no location in the state which does not have a sports stadium within a 10-kilometer radius. He elaborated on the action plan prepared to strengthen sports infrastructure and facilities in rural and urban areas, identify sporting talent, and ensure participation of athletes.
