Bastar Olympic opens with 3,500 participants; new team comprises surrendered Naxalites

Jagdalpur (Chhattisgarh), Dec 11 (PTI) Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai on Thursday asserted that his government is committed to taking development to every village in the Bastar division, which he said is steadily moving towards peace, harmony and prosperity.

Addressing the ‘Bastar Olympic 2025’ at Indira Priyadarshini Stadium in Jagdalpur, the headquarters of Bastar district, he said the massive participation of youth, including the surrendered Naxalites and victims of Maoist violence, has made the event historic.

Indian boxing legend MC Mary Kom was also present on the occasion.

Sai said the government is determined to connect the youth from tribal-dominated Bastar with the mainstream and ensure their active contribution to the region’s development.

Winners of the Bastar Olympic would become role models and would be provided advanced training and opportunities to compete at international levels, he said.

The government will provide better opportunities and training to the youth of Bastar, preparing them for global competitions, said Sai.

Those winning gold, silver, and bronze medals in the international Olympic Games will be awarded honorariums of Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore, and Rs 1 crore, respectively, he said.

Deputy CM Vijay Sharma, who also holds the Home portfolio, called the Bastar Olympic an important initiative to integrate youth from interior regions into the mainstream.

The government has been encouraging the youth from the remote areas of Bastar by providing them with more opportunities, and this initiative will continue in an even more robust form in the future, he added.

Mary Kom met the participants and encouraged them.

State’s Sports and Youth Welfare Director Tanuja Salam said around 3,500 athletes from all seven districts of Bastar division and 761 participants from the ‘Nua Bat’ team are competing in the division-level events (finals) in Bastar Olympic this year.

The Nua Bat (a term in local Halbi dialect which means a ‘new path’) team comprises surrendered Naxalites and victims of Maoist violence as participants.

Last year, the event saw 1.65 lakh participants in division, district and block levels. The number has surged to over 3.92 lakh, including more than 2.27 lakh women, this year, she said.

The final stage of the Bastar Olympic, featuring 11 sporting disciplines, including athletics, archery, badminton, football, karate, kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball and tug of war, will be held from December 11 to 13.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the closing ceremony on December 13, officials said. PTI COR TKP NR