Stating that the State is fully prepared for the Khelo India Games 21, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Thursday said that an amount of around Rs 250 crore has been spent to successfully host this sports festival. "Out of the total amount, Rs 139 crore have been spent on construction of new infrastructures along with revamping the old ones", he added.
Addressing a Press Conference ahead of the fourth edition of 'Khelo India Youth Games-2021, Khattar said that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the Chief Guest at the opening ceremony of this sports festival which will start at 7:30 pm on June 4. No stone would be left unturned to make the Central Government's flagship Khelo India programme a huge success. The 'Khelo India Youth Games-2021', is being jointly organized by the State Government and Sports Authority of India (SAI), Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports from June 4 to June 13.
The Chief Minister informed that in this sports festival, athletes will compete for a total of 545 gold, 45 silver and 776 bronze medals. The athletes will stay in 3-star hotels and high-quality nutritious food would be served to them. Besides this, adequate arrangements have been made for their safe and secure travelling from the hotel to the venue, he added.
"Signboards, advertisements, guide maps, etc have been installed at the venue to provide information about the sports grounds, competition programmes and other necessary information so that players and spectators have minute to minute information. A team of doctors, nurses, physiotherapists and ambulances have been arranged at each venue.
He said the State Government has constructed state of the art infrastructure for these games along with revamping the old ones. The list of the newly constructed infrastructure includes the construction of A - Star Scientific Training and Rehabilitation Center at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, Panchkula for Rs. 9.95 crores. Besides this, an amount of Rs.15.23 crore has been spent on the revamping of the Synthetic Athletics track at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex, he added.
The Chief Minister informed that an amount of Rs. 3.02 crore has been spent on the construction of a synthetic warm-up athletics track, elevated track and sand track at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex. He informed that a new Hockey AstroTurf and Pavilion costing Rs. 20.44 crore has been constructed at Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex. He said that for the first time in the history of 'Khelo India', Haryana has organized a torch relay across the state. "For the last four months, three mascots who have been touring the State on a dedicated vehicle named 'Raahgiri' and have remained the centre of attraction in the entire state," he added.
He said that in the 'Khelo India Games', the Mascot of Haryana has been named 'Dhakad'. Just like the Jawan of Haryana is 'Dhakad', the farmer of Haryana is 'Dhakad' and the player of Haryana is 'Dhakad'.
Around 8,500 athletes from 36 States and Union Territories, athletes, coaches and support staff from across the country will participate in these games. "As many as 25 sports events will be organized at five venues namely Panchkula, Ambala, Shahabad, Chandigarh and Delhi," informed Khattar.
Additional Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, and Director General, Information, Public Relations and Languages Department, Dr. Amit Agrawal and others were present on the occasion.