Haryana sportspersons will eye for maximum medal wins in 2036 Olympics: Saini

Chandigarh, Dec 23 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a vision to establish India as a sports superpower by the 2036 Olympics, Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Tuesday at the closing ceremony of the ‘MP Sports Mahotsav 2025’.

Saini expressed confidence that in the 2036 Olympic Games, players from Haryana, which is known as the country's sports powerhouse, will compete with the goal of winning the maximum number of medals and will further strengthen Haryana's global identity as a land of brave farmers and world-class wrestlers.

India aims to host the 2036 Olympics in Ahemdabad, Gujarat.

According to an official statement, he was speaking at the closing ceremony of the 'MP Sports Mahotsav 2025' held at the Dronacharya Stadium, Kurukshetra.

Earlier, Saini, Naveen Jindal, who is the BJP MP from Kurukshetra and former Haryana Minister of State Subhash Sudha felicitated the winners of the event with cash awards and prizes. On this occasion, shooter Gurjot Singh and para-athlete Dilbag Singh were honoured with special awards.

The chief minister congratulated Jindal and his entire team for the successful organisation of the event and said that nearly 1.10 lakh players participated in various sports activities during the event.

A comprehensive sports calendar has been prepared to organise sporting competitions throughout the year in the state. Under this calendar, events such as Khel Mahakumbh, state-level Akhara Dangal, boxing, volleyball, athletics, badminton, swimming, basketball, handball, and other competitions are regularly conducted, he added.

He said a clear vision for sports development in Haryana was formulated 11 years ago, to connect every child with sports, develop playgrounds in every village, and provide opportunities to every youth with a passion for sports.

The ultimate goal of this vision is to make Haryana not only the sports capital of India, but also of the world, he said. Today, Saini said, Haryana is known as the nursery of sports, with its athletes bringing immense pride to the nation at the international level.

Whether it is the Olympic Games, Asian Games, or Commonwealth Games, players from Haryana have brought laurels for the nation, the chief minister said.

He said the sports mahotsav serves as an important platform to nurture and promote sporting talent, and several initiatives have been taken by the state government to bring such talent to the forefront.

Sports nurseries have been established across Haryana to groom players from an early age, where they are provided with financial assistance along with professional training, Saini said.

At present, 1,472 sports nurseries are functioning in the state, training 37,225 players, he added. Under this scheme, players in the age group of 8 to 14 years receive a monthly allowance of Rs 1,500, and those aged 15 to 19 are given Rs 2,000 per month.

Jindal said this event marks the beginning of a new era of sports in Kurukshetra.

He shared his vision of ensuring the availability of sports equipment and trained coaches in every village of Kurukshetra. He added that to achieve this goal, sports stadiums will be developed within the next year, and gym equipment will be provided in every village over the next two years.

While administering a pledge to the players, he said that an increasing number of youth from the Kurukshetra Lok Sabha constituency should actively participate in sports and commit themselves to staying away from social evils such as drug addiction.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi initiated the Sansad Khel Mahotsav, intending to empower youth to excel in sports, thereby nurturing national and international-level players in every village, he said. PTI SUN OZ OZ