Chief Minister Raman Singh on Monday announced that a tennis academy would be established in the State soon.
He was inaugurating the Gondwana Cup All India Tennis Tournament at the VIP Club here.
The Tournament is being orgnaised jointly by Chhattisgarh State Tennis Association and Sports and Youth Welfare Department.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also felicitated Tennis player Yuki Bhambhri .
Former Chhattisgarh Governor Shekhar Dutt said that the Gondwana Cup is counted among other best Tennis tournaments in the country.
Notably, a new BSP Tennis Complex was set up by Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP) was dedicated to the sports fraternity and tennis enthusiasts by Chief Minister Raman Singh in February last year.
The Chief Minister on the occasion had also inaugurated the All India Inter State Men’s National Tennis Tournament hosted in the complex from February 16 to 21, 2016.
Those present at the inaugural ceremony were Minister for Revenue & Disaster Management, Rehabilitation, Higher Education, Technical Education & Manpower Planning, Science & Technology, Prem Prakash Pandey, State Minister for Women & Child Development, Ramsheela Sahu, MlA, Vidyaratan Bhasin, labhchand Bafna and Sanwla Ram Dehre, CEO, BSP, S Chandrasekaran, President, Chhattisgarh State Tennis Association, Vikram Singh Sisodia, Secretary of the Association, Gurucharan Singh Hora, Executive Director (Pers & Admin.), BSP, lT Sherpa, President (Junior Selection Committee, AITA), Anil Dhooper and Secretary of Chhattisgarh State Tennis Association, Gurucharan Singh Hora, Maya Belchandan and Chandraekhar Sahu.
Addressing a large gathering at the inaugural function, the Chief Minister said this is a momentous occasion not just for Bhilai but for the entire State.
Thanking all those public representatives and BSP officials involved in setting up this new complex, and welcoming players and officials from different states who are here for the Men’s National Tennis Tournament, he said this new complex is the first of its kind in the State.
It is a good beginning for the game of tennis in the State, Singh said.
Congratulating BSP officials for having promoted sports on a large scale, he said BSP is known not just for making quality steel but also for providing the required facilities for honing young sporting talent. By providing young tennis players of the region the opportunity to witness national and international matches, this complex with all its facilities should be instrumental in honing the talent of young tennis players, he said, expressing confidence that national & international tennis players would emerge from these courts.
In his address, Minister for Revenue & Disaster Management, Rehabilitation, Higher Education, Technical Education & Manpower Planning, Science & Technology Prem Prakash Pandey said Bhilai Steel Plant that processes raw iron ore to quality steel for the nation is also actively engaged in development of human resources and talent, whether it is in the area of education or sports. The game of tennis is gaining popularity and this well-equipped tennis complex would go a long way in promoting this game in Bhilai and in the state of Chhattisgarh, he said.
In his address, S Chandrasekaran, the then CEO, BSP said we had decided when we started this project about two years back that we would set up a facility matching international standards. The location was decided as one that would be best suited for the complex.
My team then set about the task with the Plant’s Enginering Drawing & Design Department first collecting necessary data for designing the complex, and other agencies following up with the construction, he had stated.
The Bhilai Steel Plant has always promoted sports in the region by creating the necessary infrastructure and providing coaching facilities. The new BSP Tennis Complex inaugurated here today with five tennis courts is an asset we have created for promoting the game of tennis. The all-India men’s tournament that has been inaugurated today will be followed by the women’s tournament. This complex is equipped to host international matches in future, he said.