Winning Olympic medal should be every sportsperson's aim: Haryana CM Saini

Panchkula, Sep 13 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday said that every sportsperson should make winning medals at the Olympic Games his/her goal.

Saini also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a target of establishing India as a sporting superpower by the 2036 Olympic Games, for which the Haryana government has already started preparations.

Addressing a gathering of shuttlers after inaugurating the all-India sub-junior ranking badminton tournament here, Saini announced to give Rs 11 lakh to the Sports Promotion Society, Panchkula, from his discretionary fund.

Welcoming around 2,000 shuttlers from different states to Haryana, Saini said victory and defeat are part of the game, but passion and sportsmanship are what makes a great player.

A player’s goal should not be limited to the Asian junior badminton tournament, but should extend to winning medals for India at the Olympic Games, he added.

Describing Haryana as a sports hub, the chief minister said its players have brought laurels to both the country and the state by winning medals at international competitions.

About 11 years ago, a vision for sports was formulated in the state that encouraged players with the mantra of 'Khele Haryana - Badhe Haryana' for which extensive sports infrastructure was developed, he said.

Be it stadiums, indoor halls or residential academies, the Haryana government has ensured the establishment of modern sports facilities in every district, he added.

Saini also said the state government has set up sports nurseries to nurture talent from an early age, due to which Haryana is today known as the ‘nursery of sports’.

Financial assistance and professional training are being provided to the budding players through these nurseries, and at present, 1,489 such facilities are operational across the state, where 37,225 players are receiving training, Saini said.

In these nurseries, players aged 8-14 years are given Rs 1,500 per month, while those between 15 and 19 years receive Rs 2,000 per month, the chief minister said.

Referring to the achievements of Haryana's sportspersons, Saini said be it the Olympic Games, Asian Games or Commonwealth Games, athletes from the state have made the nation proud by raising the tricolour on every stage. He highlighted that out of the five individual medal winners from India at last year’s Paris Olympics, four were from Haryana, while the men’s hockey team, which secured the bronze, comprised two players from the state.

Similarly, in the 2020 Tokyo Games, three out of the six individual medal winners from India were from Haryana, while the bronze-winning men’s hockey team had two players from the state, he said. PTI CHS ARI ARI