Shri Anurag Thakur interacts with Sports Ministers of States/UTs to draw a roadmap for future International Multi-Sporting Events and promoting sports at the grassroots level

Integrated Dashboard will be created for Sports infrastructure in India: Shri Anurag Thakur

Key Highlight

• Ministry asked the States and UTs to send their feedback on making a common pool of cash awards for the athletes where both the Central and the State Governments can accumulate the funds, so that players of all states will get equal benefit after winning medals
• The data related to sports infrastructure will be available of each state, district and blockon the Dashboard
• All States will come together along with  national sports federations, educational institutes, central government and other stakeholders to prepare our athletes for the future championships: Union Sports Minister

Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur virtually interacted with Sports Ministers of respective States and Union Territories across India today. Following the major success of the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo, today’s meeting was to draw the road map to prepare our athletes for the future Olympics, Asian Games, and CommonwealthGames and how States are contributing to promoting sports at the grass-root level. During the virtual meeting, Secretary of the Department of Sports Shri Ravi Mittal was also present.

During the discussion, the Minister asked the States and UTs to send their feedback on making a common pool of cash awards for the athletes where both the Central and the State Governments can accumulate the funds so that players of all states will get equal benefit after winning medals. Sports is a State subject and the overall motive of the interaction was to urge them to organize sporting events across rural and urban areas for able-bodied and para-athletes as well as play a key role in the identification of talents at a grassroots level. The promotion of school-level sports and support to the School Games Federation of India (SGFI) was another key point of discussion.

After the meeting, Shri Anurag Thakur said that today’s meeting was very fruitful and we have agreed to meet at least twice a year to evaluate the progress and how we can come up with better infrastructure, more coaches, and more trainers and physiotherapists. Shri Anurag Thakur added that we will be holding regional meetings in various zones. Apart from that, we will be looking to create a Dashboard, where the data related to sports infrastructure will be available for each state, district, block. The dashboard will give all relevant information like how many coaches are available, what kind of sports will be played in those indoor stadiums or outdoor games, and all these details will be available at the click of a button.

Shri Anurag Thakur also said that there will be a talent hunt program for various sports so that we can catch them young and train them well for future events. Shri Anurag Thakur further said that we have requested the states to have more events and competitions to give greater exposure to the athletes so that they can participate in more events at the State level, District level, and National level.

Shri Anurag Thakur added that as Prime Minister says about cooperative federalism, all the states will come together along with national sports federations, educational institutes, central government as well as other stakeholders to prepare our athletes for the future championships and also to create better infrastructure to win more medals in the future.

At present, there are 24 KISCEs across 23 States and UTs while 360 KICs have opened across various districts in the country. Shri Anurag Thakur requested the States to contribute to their full capacity in giving the future champions of India all the crucial amenities including the best of coaching, infrastructure, medical facilities.

The Fit India movement, launched on National Sports Day 2019 by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, also has been a game-changer in inculcating the habit of fitness through various campaigns conducted thereon, like the Fit India Freedom Run, the Fit India Mobile App, Fit India Quiz, etc. Shri Thakur requested the State and UT Sports Ministers to participate and promote the above campaigns. Shri Thakur also urged States and UTs to send in proposals to open up KISCEs, KICs as well as academics to further the cause of strengthening the sports ecosystem of the nation.