Nearly 40 lakh participants got registered for 30 different games in Gujarat Government’s sporting initiative – Khel Maha Kumbh for the year 2016.
Over the past seven years, Khel Maha Kumbh (KMK) has been emerged as one of the biggest sporting events in the country with prize money of more than Rs 30 crores to be given to winners at district and State level competition in various age categories.
KMK is the brainchild of Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister. It was held first time in the State in 2010 with a view to promote sporting culture in Gujarat. The mega event was initiated to mark Golden Jubilee Celebration of formation of Gujarat. In the very first KMK the response was overwhelming as 16.50 lakh players registered themselves for the event. After that KMK became a much awaited annual event with increasing registrations.
While kick-starting KMK– 2016, the seventh edition of the sporting extravaganza at North Gujarat town Palanpur, Gujarat Chief Minster Vijay Rupani said that as a result of KMK many talented players got platform to show their talent. He also expressed commitment that in near future Gujarat would become leading State in sports activities.
“The State Government is always ready to provide platform to buddying players. The annual KMK event is a mass-awareness initiation to release qualities of sportsman spirit along with passion in youth,” said the Chief Minister, adding that it was Narendra Modi who encouraged sports in the State and as result of it Gujarat improved its position in national games from 28th position to currently 9th position.
At the inauguration ceremony, the Chief Minister gave cheques to 32 talented players who performed in State, national and international level. The amounts ranging from Rs 1 lakh to 19 lakh were given to players under the State Government’s ‘Shaktidoot Scheme’ dedicated for the buddying sports persons.
He felicitated Chief Coach of Badminton India and Coach of Olympic medal winner PV Sindhu – Pullela Gopichand, Shooter Olympic medal winner Gagan Narang, the first Gujarati lady Chetnaben Rana for climbing Everest, Captain of Indian Kabaddi Team Anup Kumar among others at the inauguration event.
“The State Government has made arrangement of quality coaching in different sports coupled with suitable sporting infrastructure. As result of it, sports persons from Gujarat have started making their own space in national as well as international competition,” claimed Gujarat’s Minister of State for sports, Rajendra Trivedi.