'UP steadily becoming India's sports hub'

Lucknow: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that Uttar Pradesh is steadily becoming a hub of sports in India as the state is building a strong foundation for athletes to bring medals to the country.

The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports was addressing a session on 'Decoding the investment potential of the sports sector in Uttar Pradesh and its role in 1$ trillion economy' held at the Bhardwaj Hanger in GIS.

Praising the Yogi government for organising this Global investors summit, Thakur said, "It is the UP government that has taken the initiative to include the sports sector in the investor summit. No other state has ever done that."

He added: "In 2021, the UP govt felicitated the Tokyo olympic medalist. It is common that the states felicitate the players of their own, but for the first time, the UP government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took the initiative of felicitating the olympic medalists of the entire country, which is commendable."

Speaking during the session, Girish Chandra Yadav, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sports, Youth Welfare Department, said, "The country is touching a new dimension in the field of sports. Sports is the means of good health and along with enhancing intellectual ability, it also awakens the spirit of patriotism and physical fitness."

The Uttar Pradesh government is dedicated to the development of sportspersons. Stadiums have been established in all the 75 districts. There were no stadiums at 4 district headquarters, for which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath gave his approval, he added. During the session, the panelists shared their experiences also. Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medalist and Founder of Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre said: "For the first time a session is being held on sports in an investors summit. Sports play an important role in overall development of the state. Sports can also play a vital role in the economy by generating revenue. There has also been substantial increase in the budgetary allocation for sports this year. Abhinav Bindra Foundation will support athletes who have suffered injuries."

Suresh Raina, Indian cricketer, said that this state has a lot of potential and appreciated the efforts of CM Yogi Adityanath in the sports sector. Yannick Colaco, Former National Basketball player and Founder Fancode remarked that sports has vast economic potential not just for athletes but also for job creation.