Sports have now become priority in Bihar: Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra
Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra on Sunday said sports have now become a priority in Bihar and hailed the State Government for developing infrastructure in the sector.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of the Bihar Sports Conclave organised collaboratively by the State Government and Sportsstar, he said, “The way sports are being developed in Bihar is truly admirable. Bihar’s sports minister was my colleague in shooting. She is deeply committed to the growth of sports.” Bindra, the first Indian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics in Beijing 2008, also appreciated the efforts of officials in promoting sports and organising such conclaves, which, he said, “provide space for deliberation”.
“I am delighted to see that sports have now become a priority in Bihar. I wish everyone the very best in their journey towards strengthening and advancing sports across the state and the country,” he said.
Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Raksha Khadse, who was present there, appreciated the efforts made by the Bihar Government for developing an efficient sporting ecosystem.
“The development of the sports sector in Bihar over the last 5-6 years is no mean achievement. The State Government’s innovative idea of building small stadiums and grounds in rural areas with the help of the MGNREGA scheme was inspirational. Learning from that, we have made a budgetary allocation under the VB-G RAM G Act to replicate the idea across India,” she said.
Khadse emphasised that the Centre and the State Governments should work together for the promotion of sports.
“Although sports are a state subject, the Centre is proactively progressing with a handholding approach. Under the Khelo Bharat Mission, an effort is being made to transform the entire sporting ecosystem in consultation with states,” she said.
The Union Minister also focused on sports science for the betterment of athletes.
She further said that promotion of sports in Bihar will go a long way in “utilising the skilled manpower and developing the State economically”.
Bihar Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh asserted that the State Government is not just promoting the development of sports but also ensuring the empowerment of women by facilitating their participation at all levels.
“The NDA Government has entrusted me with the sports portfolio in the State. I, as a daughter of Bihar, can say that this conclave is a living example of women’s empowerment in the State,” she said.
Shreyasi, a Commonwealth Games gold medallist, who also represented India in the 2024 Paris Olympics, asserted that the sports department of the Bihar Government is providing dignity and an appropriate platform to athletes.
“We are working in parallel on two fronts: grassroots-level development of amateur athletes and construction of international and national-level stadiums. The manner in which Bihar has hosted international events in the last few years is encouraging. We will host more events in the coming times,” she asserted.
The State Minister highlighted that Eklavya centres are being integrated into schools throughout India so that students’ education and sports training run in parallel, without affecting each other.
“In Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has established centres of excellence for sports in each district. It is our responsibility now to link them up with universities across the state so that studies and sports go hand-in-hand,” she said.
The minister also said that the Bihar Government is working towards building a sports city in the State, and has already built international-standard stadiums, such as the one in Rajgir.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to host the 2036 Olympics in India. We should play our roles in realising that dream. We want to build a system wherein more and more athletes from Bihar will be part of the national Olympics team,” she added.
