Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared the 36th National Games open during an event in Ahmedabad. A total of 7,000 athletes from 36 states/UTs are participating in the National Games which are organised from 29th September to 12th October 2022.
For the first time, National Games are happening in the state of Gujarat. The sporting events will be organised in six cities of Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot and Bhavnagar.
During the event, PM Modi also virtually inaugurated the world-class ‘Swarnim Gujarat Sports University’ in Desar.
Addressing the cheering crowd at Narendra Modi Stadium, the PM asserted that after the BJP-led NDA formed the government at the Centre, the allocation of budget for sports has shot up. He also hailed Indian sportspersons who are doing exceptionally well at international championships now.
“Earlier our sportspersons were participating in 25 disciplines in 100 international events, which has now gone up to 40 disciplines in more than 300 international events. The government is also planning to make use of retired sportspersons’ skills to train the new generation. Constant efforts are being made to encourage and promote sports in the country now. If the youth achieve success in the field of sports, they can succeed in other fields as well,” he said.
Sports is a great unifier. Inaugurating the National Games being held in Gujarat. https://t.co/q9shNsjA3A
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 29, 2022
“The country’s sportsmen were capable in the past too. This movement of winning medals could have started earlier too. But, instead of professionalism, there was nepotism and corruption in sports. We have cleaned up the system and pumped in new confidence among the youth,” he added.
PM Modi, who was the Chief Minister of Gujarat between 2001-2014, urged the youngsters to embrace commitment to attain glory in life.
“If you want to win the competition, then you have to learn to live with commitment and continuity. You have to maintain this momentum off the ground as well. This pace should be the mission of your life. I am sure, your victory in the National Games will give the nation a chance to celebrate, and will also instill new confidence in the future,” he concluded.