Gorakhpur: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the flourishing sports culture across the nation, saying that Ahmedabad hosting the 2030 Commonwealth Games, and India bidding for the 2036 Olympics, can work wonders to boost the morale of homegrown talent.The chief minister was speaking after laying the foundation for the first phase of an international cricket stadium in Gorakhpur, to be built on 46 acres of land for Rs 393 crore.“The stadium is being built with the help of the Union Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, and it will have all the required facilities. We have also reserved an additional 60 acres of land next to it, where a sports complex will be constructed. Along with the cricket stadium, hotels, restaurants and a market will also come up here,” Yogi said.Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri, was also present at the event.“Ahmedabad is scheduled to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030. India has also made a bid to host the 2036 Olympic Games. Such efforts show how PM Modi is enhancing India’s participation in international events and providing homegrown athletes with an opportunity to showcase their potential on home soil.“I express my heartfelt gratitude to the prime minister for encouraging the nation’s young talent,” he said.The chief minister said that in 2014, PM Modi coined the slogan “Khelo India”, and later, he gave a call for a “Fit India” movement.“Modi ji also advocated for promoting the ‘Sansad Khelkood Pratiyogita’, a grassroots rural sports initiative aimed at promoting fitness and local talent. Through these initiatives, a new sporting culture is flourishing across the nation, leading to greater participation in global events such as the Olympics, Asian Games and the Commonwealth Games,” Yogi saidNoting that it is the responsibility of the government to provide the requisite infrastructure, Yogi said that under the guidance of the PM, the UP govt is providing such infrastructure throughout the state.“A playground is being established in every village, while work has already commenced to construct a mini stadium at every block and a full-fledged stadium in every district. Uttar Pradesh has 18 administrative divisions, and we aim to establish a sports college in each of them,” the CM said.“We are also constructing the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, which will be inaugurated during the current academic session. We already launched the academic programme for it last year,” he added.Yogi also said that an international cricket stadium is coming up in Varanasi with support from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).“If the govt holds possession of land, it will be utilised for public welfare. And when development takes place, it spontaneously generates employment opportunities,” the chief minister said.
