Chandigarh: Under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, and My Bharat, the ‘Khelo India Samvaad – Khel Ki Baat, PM Ke Saath’ programme was organised at Dyal Singh College and Government College in Karnal with the objective of connecting young people with sports, promoting a strong sporting culture and encouraging them to stay away from substance abuse. Around 500 young people and participants enthusiastically took part in the programme and watched and listened to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s interaction and address to the youth.
A government spokesperson said that through his address, the Prime Minister called upon the youth of the country to actively participate in sports, make sportsmanship a part of their lives and stay away from social evils such as substance abuse. He urged them to contribute to building a healthy, disciplined and developed India.
The participants also offered important suggestions on expanding sports facilities, identifying sporting talent at the rural and grassroots levels, improving training and coaching facilities, increasing youth participation in sports and promoting youth-led initiatives against substance abuse.
Interaction of Youth with Athletes
To make the programme more inspiring, young participants also interacted with two emerging sporting talents, Ashi Kashyap from lawn tennis and Angel Rana from cycling. Both athletes shared their sporting experiences, struggles, discipline, fitness practices and journeys to success with the participants. They encouraged young people to consider sports as both a career option and a healthy lifestyle.
The spokesperson said that the Khelo India Samvaad – Khel Ki Baat, PM Ke Saath programme is an important platform for directly connecting young people with the country’s sporting future and nation-building. He said that all five themes of the programme are closely linked to the future of the youth, and the ideas put forward by young participants can provide valuable direction for India’s sports and youth policies.
