‘Your success will inspire younger generation of UP’
LUCKNOW: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday wished success to all 10 Tokyo Olympics-bound athletes from Uttar Pradesh and promised them a grand felicitation when they come back from the Japanese capital next month.
“I extend my best wishes for success to all our athletes who are going to participate in the Tokyo Olympics. Your success and achievements will inspire the younger generation of the state, and the government will felicitate all the athletes when they come back from the Olympics,” said Adityanath during a virtual interaction with the athletes on Wednesday.
While promising full support of the state government to the Tokyo-bound athletes, the CM also congratulated the family members of the athletes. “I admire the contribution of the families of these athletes as they were the biggest supporters of their wards. After the Tokyo Games, I will meet family members of the athletes in person,” he said. Interacting with state athletes, a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually met Indian athletes on Tuesday, the CM said these sportspersons deserve special praise for their continuous effort to qualify for the mega event even when the world was going though the corona crisis.
While reiterating the supporting stand of the PM to sportspersons across the country through the Khelo India scheme, the CM said besides implementing different development schemes for sports in the state, his government was also implementing schemes of Khelo India adequately.
“It’s great to see that most of our Tokyo-bound athletes of UP come from rural background, especially from western Uttar Pradesh, and that’s why the government is setting up a sports university in Meerut,” he said, adding, “The sports university will not only cater to the needs of the new generation of sportspersons, but also help the government generate new opportunities for sportspersons.”
Out of 10 sportspersons, race walker Priyanka Goswami; javelin throwers Annu Rani, Seema Punia and hockey player Vandana Katariya – hail from Meerut, whereas shooter Saurabh Chaudhary (Meerut), Mairaj Ahmed Khan (Bulandshahr), pugilist Satish Kumar (Bulandshahr), rower Arvind Singh (Khabra) too come from the same region.
Two others – javelin thrower Shivpal Singh and hockey player Lalit Kumar Upadhyay belong to Varanasi.
“Under the one district one product scheme, the government has chosen Meerut for sports goods. In the last four years or so, the government has put its best foot forward for the development of sports and the process will continue further,” said the CM.
Most of the athletes praised the UP Sports Directorate for extending full support to sportspersons, but a few demanded some changes in the state government’s policies regarding the prize money to athletes who do well at the international level.
National record holder Priyanka Goswami demanded setting up of a synthetic track in Meerut and appointment of good coaches at the centre. Annu Rani urged the government for the construction of at least one ground in each district of UP, whereas Olympian Mairaj Khan demanded a shooting academy in western Uttar Pradesh.
The CM advised them to submit their demands to the Sports Directorate after coming back from the Olympics and assured all possible solutions to their problems. “The government is setting up two shooting academies, one each at Lucknow and Varanasi, and we will invite shooters like Khan and Chaudhary to give their valuable suggestions for the same.”
Showering special praise on Asian Games gold medalist Chaudhary, the CM said age was with the young shooter and success will take him ahead in future. “You have age with you and I am sure you will go a long way in your field and achieve many more successes,” he told Chaudhary. Addressing hockey player Upadhyay, the CM said a sportsperson doesn’t play for his or her own self, but brings name and fame for his/her city, state and country.