Sports university will fulfil dreams of athletes: Kejriwal
NEW DELHI : Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday said India in the coming years will beat China in the number of medals it has won in the Olympics. The chief minister was participating in the discussion on the Delhi Sports University Bill – 2019, which was passed by Delhi Assembly on Monday.
The Bill would pave the way for the creation of a unique sports university, in which, the chief minister said, there will be no political and bureaucratic intervention and that it would be run purely by professionals.
As per the plan, the Delhi Sports University will be set up at a 90-acre plot in west Delhi’s Mundka. The vice-chancellor of this university will be an experienced sportsperson, officials said.
Kejriwal said in the last 70 years, the country has won only 28 medals in Olympics. In the last Olympics in 2016, China won 70 medals while India won only two.
“It will fulfil the dreams of sportspersons in the country to win more medals than China in Olympics. I hope that I won’t die without seeing this dream coming true… If this University is run by political parties, leaders and officers, nothing will work. It will be run by professionals. For this university, we will create a governance structure that can take quick and responsible decisions and implement them effectively,” Kejriwal said in his speech in the House.
He further said that although youngsters in Delhi would be given priority in admissions to the proposed university, talented youth and sportspersons from all across the country would be provided opportunities.
Calling the proposed university, a Mecca for all sportspersons of the country, Kejriwal also commented on the lack of support for the sportspersons in India.
“There are shortcomings in our governance system. Our government systems are adverse to talented sportspersons. In order to remove this difficulty, we need to approach sports with the perspective of national pride and professionalism,” he said.
While presenting the Bill in the House, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said the main aim of this university was to build and groom students who have excelled in various sports in their schools.
Sisodia, who also holds education portfolio, said DSU would offer degrees to sportspersons at par with degrees in other courses at graduate, post graduate and doctoral levels.
“The Delhi Sports University is established with a national vision where we set specific targets to achieve. We hope that the students of DSU will win three Gold Medals for India in the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris. In the 2028 Olympics to be held in Los Angeles, our students will get 10 Gold Medals for our country. We will identify 10-12 sports where we have the sufficient skills. Good combination of sportspersons and coaches will yield better results,” he said.