New Delhi [India], December 31 (ANI): The yr passed by noticed India reaching some new milestones in sports activities with the federal government’s schemes reminiscent of Khelo India contributing to nurturing expertise on the grassroots and Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) offering world-class assist to elite athletes.
Sports has advanced from being a mere pastime to a revered profession possibility, inspiring hundreds of thousands of younger Indians to pursue their athletic desires.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constantly engaged with athletes at varied occasions, together with the Olympics and nationwide video games. Even his speeches often spotlight the successes of Indian athletes on worldwide platforms, instilling a way of pleasure amongst residents.
After the Paris Olympics, he praised each medalists and those that narrowly missed out on podium finishes, emphasizing that each athlete’s journey contributes to India’s sporting legacy.
Ahead of the Paris Paralympics 2024, PM Modi wished the Indian contingent success, stating that their braveness and dedication encourage your entire nation. After the occasion, all of the gamers have been invited to PM’s residence the place the PM welcomed them and lauded their efforts on the Games. Para-Olympian Yogesh Kathuniya referred to as PM ‘Param Mitra’ highlighting the encouragement every participant receives from him.
During a gathering with Neeraj Chopra, the gold medalist javelin thrower, PM Modi made a heartfelt gesture by connecting together with his mom. He shared a light-hearted second about how he was eagerly ready for her to arrange her well-known ladoos after Neeraj’s victory on the Tokyo Olympics. This private contact not solely showcased Modi’s heat but in addition highlighted the significance of household assist in an athlete’s journey.
PM Modi felt emotional when he acquired a particular present from chess star Vantika Agarwal. She gifted him a treasured photograph from the ‘Swami Vivekananda Mahila Chess Mahotsav’ in 2012, the place PM Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, was awarding her, a press launch from the Sports Ministry and Sports Authority of India (SAI) stated.
“There are countless moments that highlight PM Modi’s connection with athletes, inspiring them, making them feel valued, and motivating them to win for the nation. He consistently interacts with them before, during, and after tournaments, cheering them on throughout, regardless of whether they win or lose. He is truly a pillar of strength for them,” the discharge stated.
In a major transfer in the direction of realising PM Modi’s imaginative and prescient of internet hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in India in 2036, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) formally expressed the nation’s curiosity. In November, the IOA submitted a Letter of Intent to the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Future Host Commission, marking India’s formal bid for this prestigious international occasion.
The ‘Khelo India’ scheme goals to foster a mass motion for selling sports activities excellence throughout the nation. With an annual finances of USD 119 million, the scheme covers grassroots expertise identification and improvement, and supplies scholarships to greater than 2,700 kids annually.
In reality, a complete of 124 athletes who have been a part of the Indian Contingent which participated within the Asian Games held in Hangzhou have been Khelo India athletes, and so they contributed by successful 42 medals out of 106 medals.
Khelo India Women’s League was renamed as Asmita Women’s League. About, 4 seasons of ASMITA have been held since 2021 which has seen a complete participation of 83,615 girls in 20 sports activities from throughout 35 States and UTs.
Under the Khelo India Scheme, a complete of two,781 athletes (KIAs) have been recognized and are supplied with complete assist, together with specialised teaching, tools, medical care, and a month-to-month allowance.
The ‘Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS)’ helps athletes of their preparation for the Olympics and different worldwide competitions.
Notably, out of the 117 athletes representing India on the Paris Olympics, 28 have been Khelo India athletes. Similarly, India’s Paralympic staff, that includes 18 Khelo India athletes, has already secured 29 medals, the very best ever on the ongoing Paris Paralympics 2024.
Indian authorities’s unwavering dedication to sporting excellence has been evident via funding allocation of over Rs 470 crore for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Modi authorities demonstrated assist in guaranteeing that athletes have the most effective setting to thrive, offering 40 moveable air conditioners to the athletes on the Olympic Games Village.
Manu Bhaker created historical past by changing into the primary Indian to win two medals in a single version of the Olympics. Swapnil Kusale added a 3rd medal in taking pictures to make it India’s greatest haul in a sport in a single version of the Olympics. Neeraj Chopra grew to become essentially the most profitable particular person Olympian after he claimed a silver medal within the Javelin throw. Aman Sherawat grew to become India’s youngest Olympic medallist when he received bronze in wrestling.
India’s most profitable Paralympic marketing campaign so far unfolded on the 2024 Paris Games, the place Indian athletes achieved a rare feat, securing a record-breaking 29 medals; gold, 9 silver, and 13 bronze. This achievement marks a brand new pinnacle in India’s Paralympic historical past, showcasing the nation’s rising prominence on the world stage.
In chess, Gukesh D. lately grew to become the youngest-ever World Chess Champion, bringing immense pleasure to India by reaching this historic feat at a younger age. Throughout 2024 the legacy of chess continued with prodigious expertise like Vaishali Ramesh Babu who has been awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE. Vaishali is the third Indian feminine Grandmaster, becoming a member of Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli. India’s chess staff made historical past on the forty fifth Chess Olympiad in Hungary, clinching gold in each the Open and Women’s sections. The girls’s staff secured the first-ever gold medals at this prestigious occasion.
Divyakriti Singh a 23-year-old equestrian dynamo secured a noteworthy Arjuna Award and earned her place as the primary Indian girl to perform this feat within the area of Equestrian.
India’s girls’s doubles pair of Ayhika Mukherjee and Sutirtha Mukherjee made historical past, securing a historic bronze medal, the nation’s first-ever medal within the class, on the Asian Table Tennis Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan.
India’s wrestlers earned 4 silver and 5 bronze medals on the Asian Wrestling Championships in Kyrgyzstan, proving their mettle on the continental stage. India clinched seven golds, 11 silvers and 11 bronze medals to complete third on the Asian U20 Athletics Championships 2024 held in Dubai.
India’s Gulveer Singh set a nationwide document within the males’s 10,000m occasion on the Hachioji Long Distance 2024 athletics meet in Japan.
India’s Man Singh claimed the gold medal on the Asian Marathon Championships 2024 with a private finest timing of two hours, 14 minutes and 19 seconds (2:14:19) in Hong Kong, China. (ANI)