Union Minister J P Nadda on Saturday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been consistently advocating betterment of sporting facilities for players.
He also said the budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have been increased threefold in the BJP-led NDA government at the Centre.
Speaking at a function organised to felicitate Paralympians at the Bihar BJP office here, Nadda said, "The budgetary allocations for the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports have been increased threefold under the leadership of our PM. The central government is providing world-class training, equipment and coaching facilities to our sportspersons in 34 sports disciplines."
"Whether it is Olympic or Paralympic, our PM has been consistently advocating betterment of sports and facilities for players. The budgetary allocation has been increased to Rs 3,342 crore in the current financial year for the ministry," he added.
The initiatives taken by the central government have contributed to India's outstanding performance at the Olympic, Paralympic and other international sports events, he said, adding that achievements have surpassed all previous records.
India won six medals - a silver and five bronze - at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The country secured a total of 29 medals - seven gold, nine silver and 13 bronze- in the 2024 Paralympics.
"Various initiatives have been undertaken by the Centre in the recent past to promote sports excellence and foster a strong sporting culture across the country. There are a total of 1,000 Khelo India centres in the country and 715 are already operational. The 'Khelo India' scheme aims to foster a mass movement for promoting sports excellence across the country," the BJP president said.
