UP govt committed to strengthening sports infra, says CM Adityanath at Hockey event

Lucknow, Nov 12 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that his government is making consistent efforts to promote hockey and preserve the legacy of the sport's legends from the state.

He said this at an event as he welcomed the FIH Men's Junior Hockey World Cup trophy in Lucknow ahead of the tournament scheduled to be held in Tamil Nadu later this month.

Addressing a ceremony organised to mark the trophy's arrival in the state capital, Adityanath said it was a proud moment for Uttar Pradesh to host the World Cup trophy tour before the global event begins in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10.

"The arrival of this trophy in Lucknow reminds us of Uttar Pradesh's golden contribution to Indian hockey. The state has given the country great players such as Major Dhyan Chand and K D Singh 'Babu', whose names are etched in the history of Indian sports," the chief minister said.

He said that to honour Major Dhyan Chand's memory, the state government is developing the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, where academic sessions have already begun this year. Similarly, the ancestral residence of K D Singh in Barabanki is being converted into a hockey museum, Adityanath said.

Listing several renowned players from the state, the chief minister said Uttar Pradesh has produced many national and international hockey stars, including Padma awardees Mohammad Shahid, Ashok Kumar, Syed Ali, Sujit Kumar, Devesh Chauhan, Vandana Katariya, Preeti Dubey and Pushpa Srivastava.

"Even today, players such as Rajkumar Pal, Uttam Singh, Vishnu Kant Singh, Mumtaz, Sakshi and Jyoti are representing India in senior and junior men's and women's teams, continuing the state's proud tradition in the sport," he added.

Adityanath said the state government's investment in sports infrastructure and talent development reflects its commitment to make Uttar Pradesh a hub for hockey once again.

He extended his best wishes to all players participating in the upcoming Junior Hockey World Cup and welcomed the officials associated with the event.

The event was also attended by Minister of State for Sports and Youth Welfare Girish Chandra Yadav, department secretary Suhas LY, Director RP Singh, Hockey India general secretary Bholanath Singh, Director General Commander RK Srivastava and Uttar Pradesh Hockey general secretary Rajneesh Kumar Mishra. PTI KIS SHS SHS