Basti: Treating sport as just an extra-curricular activity has cost the country a great loss, Prime Minister Narendra Modi kicked off sporting events on Wednesday and urged athletes to include millet in their diets.
The coarse-grained pitch comes as the world marks 2023 as the International Year of Millet. He said a lot of talent was kept off the playground.
But this thinking is now changing, he said. He also advised athletes to incorporate yoga into their daily routines to stay fit. “All athletes know how important it is to stay fit and the Fit India Movement is doing that. For fitness, everyone should incorporate yoga into their lives. … It also helps to get healthy and keep your spirits up, the Prime Minister said after effectively launching the second phase of ‘Saansad Khel Mahakumbh 2022-23’ in Basti. The first stage of the competition will run from 10th December 2022 to 16th December, and the second stage, which started on Wednesday, will last until 28th January.
Emphasizing the importance of millet, commonly called ‘mota anaj’ (coarse-grained), the Prime Minister said, ‘A nutritious diet is also important for athletes and millet can play an important role in this. At the request, 2023 was proclaimed as an International Congress: Year of Millet”.
Modi, who also saw the first event of the ‘kho-kho’ competition, said the talent to participate here exists in all parts of the country and such an event would help find them.
The prime minister regretted that sports were once considered an extracurricular activity, and this has caused a great loss to the country.
“There was a time when sports were considered an extracurricular activity. It was just a way to pass the time. Children were told the same thing. Awareness has developed, it’s not that important.
“A lot of talent has left the field. But in the last eight years, the country has abandoned this old way of thinking. Many children and young people consider sports as a career option.
The prime minister said, “It’s reassuring that the parents are also seriously involved in sports.”
He said the immediate benefits of this change in people’s mindset are tangible, as India is constantly setting new records in the field of sports.
“We had our best ever performance at the Olympics. We had our best ever performance at the Paralympics. India’s improved performance in various sports is now a matter of debate. It’s just the beginning, there’s still a long way to go,” he said. .
“This ‘Kel Mahakumbu’ will give new opportunities to young athletes. We heard that about 200 Indian parliamentarians organized similar sporting events in their respective locations and thousands of young people participated. In Varanasi, such an event has also started.
The Prime Minister also praised girls in sport, noting that Shefali Verma scored 26 runs on five 4s and one 6 in the U-19 women’s T-20.
Emphasizing that the government encourages athletes at all levels, the Prime Minister said, “The government is also providing financial support to athletes. There are currently over 2,500 athletes in the country earning Rs 50,000 each month. It has been given more than ‘Kero India’ campaign’.
Athletes performing well at Saansad Khel Mahakumbh have been selected for further training at the Indian Sports Authority Center, which will bring them many benefits.
“Our players should have adequate resources, training, international exposure…all these aspects are working,” he said.PTI
