Synthetic turf to be laid at Pavilion Ground, track at Parade Ground
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Aug: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami addressed a grand ceremony at the Multipurpose Sports Hall in Parade Ground here, today, on the occasion of National Sports Day 2025 and the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Dhami emphasised that sports and the spirit of sportsmanship infuse society with energy, discipline and inspiration. Recalling Major Dhyan Chand’s legacy, he said the maestro introduced the world to India’s sporting excellence through the sheer magic of his hockey stick, even demonstrating to Hitler the true meaning of patriotism. Inspired by such ideals and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India is now emerging as a global sporting powerhouse, with Uttarakhand prepared to contribute meaningfully to this transformation.
The CM also reminded the gathering of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiatives to foster a sports culture across the nation through flagship programmes such as ‘Khelo India’ and the ‘Fit India Movement’. The CM observed that the current generation of athletes no longer play merely to participate but enter the arena with a firm resolve to win and raise the tricolour high. Citing recent achievements, he recalled Neeraj Chopra’s historic gold medal in the javelin throw at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the men’s hockey team’s bronze medal after a gap of 41 years. He also mentioned Chopra’s silver medal at the Paris Olympics and the commendable performance of Manu Bhaker.
Referring to Uttarakhand’s growing stature in the sporting domain, Dhami asserted that the successful hosting of the 38th National Games has laid the foundation for the state to be recognised not only as ‘Devbhoomi’ but also as ‘Khelbhoomi. He proudly recalled that Uttarakhand’s athletes created history by securing 103 medals and achieving seventh position for the first time in the last National Games. Dhami further asserted that with the development of world-class sports infrastructure, the state is now equipped to host not just national but international sporting events. The renovation of the Olympic-standard Himadri Ice Rink has already enabled the hosting of an international-level competition, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of winter sports in India and bringing pride to the state.
In a major announcement, the CM shared that the government will soon implement a ‘Sports Legacy Plan’ under which 23 sports academies will be established across eight major cities. These academies will provide high-level training annually to 920 elite athletes and 1,000 other players. He also reminded that the state’s first sports university is being set up in Haldwani, along with a women’s sports college in Lohaghat. Under the new sports policy, national and international medallists are being offered government jobs, while players in residential sports colleges are receiving free training and education. Sports scholarships are also being extended to nurture talented youth.
The CM added that, to encourage emerging players, the government is actively promoting schemes such as the ‘Mukhyamantri Khel Vikas Nidhi’, ‘Mukhyamantri Khiladi Protsahan Yojana’, ‘Mukhyamantri Udiyaman Khiladi Yojana’ and the ‘Khel Kit Yojana’. On the occasion, the CM also felicitated medallists from various international competitions and announced that the state government is disbursing approximately Rs 16 crore to over 250 athletes and their coaches. Among those honoured were Paris Olympics 2024 participants Mandeep Kaur, Amisha Rawat and Manoj Sarkar, each receiving Rs 50 lakhs. Gold medallists Shaurya Saini and Abhinav Deshwal were awarded Rs 30 lakhs each. Additionally, under the ‘Mukhyamantri Udiyaman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana’, 3,900 players and under the ‘Mukhyamantri Protsahan Yojana’, 2,199 players received monthly scholarships totalling around Rs 5.5 crores.
The CM stated that India has initiated efforts to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, and hence, the Sports Department and young athletes must begin preparations in earnest. He announced that a synthetic athletics track will be laid at Parade Ground while a synthetic football turf would be laid at the Pavilion Football Ground. On the occasions, appointment letters for ‘out-of-turn’ government jobs were also handed over to medallists Mansi Negi for the Sports Department and Mohammed Arshad for the Police Department.
Sports Minister Rekha Arya, in her address, claimed that Uttarakhand has set benchmarks in every domain through the National Games and that the government’s efforts in developing sports infrastructure will ensure that every household in the state produces a sportsperson in the near future. Among those present at the ceremony included Tehri MP Mala Rajya Laxmi Shah, Vice Chairman of the Uttarakhand State Level Sports Council, Hemraj Bisht, Special Principal Secretary, Sports, Amit Sinha, Director, Sports, Ashish Chauhan and other senior officials from the Sports Department.
