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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Dec. 22 (EMN): Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday virtually inaugurated eight Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE)—including one in Nagaland.
The other centres were inaugurated in Karnataka, Arunachal Pradesh, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Odisha and Telangana.
Speaking during the programme, Rijiju said the initiative is an important beginning to develop a sporting culture and sports excellence in India.
“Today’s youth in India are looking forward to the initiative from the government of India,” he said.
Rijiju said that Khelo India has become a brand everybody wants to associate with.
“Khelo India game is becoming the most popular sporting event in our country. In last the three years, we have seen how Khelo India has emerged,” he added.
Citing his interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju said: “He has given a very clear indication and direction to make Khelo India truly a brand which will associate not only with the youth but every Indian; sports must become a way of life, sports must become a culture in our country.”
He maintained that ministry is ready to provide necessary financial assistance to ensure that the KISCE are well-equipped with proper infrastructure, manpower to make India truly a sporting powerhouse.
“India is a vast country with huge potential; we cannot be satisfied with one or two medals. So we have to be at the top-ten, and to make India one of the great sporting nations, we have to ensure that the state-level centres are developed up to the standard (sic),” he said.
Rijiju informed that the director general of Sports Authority of India (SAI), along with a high-level team, will be visiting all the centres.
The IG Stadium in Kohima will play host to three disciplines: wrestling, archery, and boxing.
Neikha assures full support
Meanwhile Nagaland’s Advisor to Youth Resources and Sports, Zale Neikha expressed gratitude to the government of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports on behalf of the government of Nagaland and for setting up the KISCE in the state. He assured to make every effort to hone the skills of sportspersons in the disciplines allotted to the state ‘in all seriousness in the next four years and make history in Indian Olympics’.