Government committed to promote sports in Chhattisgarh – CM Sai

Executive meeting of Chhattisgarh Olympic Association concludes

Raipur(Team GdNews):  Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai attended the executive meeting of Chhattisgarh Olympic Association held at Sardar Balbir Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium in the capital Raipur. On this occasion, the annual budget for the year 2025-26 was approved. Along with this, Chief Minister Sai also formally inaugurated the new office room of the President of the Association in the stadium premises.

Chief Minister Sai said that the state government is fully committed to promote sports. He said that our government has re-launched the sports decoration ceremonies to encourage the players in the state. He also informed that the selection process of excellent players will be completed soon. The Chief Minister assured that the suggestions given by the members of the association will be seriously considered and necessary action will be taken.

The Chief Minister said that work is being done on a large scale for the development of sports in the state. He announced that gold medal winners in the Olympic Games will be given prize money of ₹3 crore, silver medal winners will be given ₹2 crore and bronze medal winners will be given ₹1 crore. Apart from this, necessary initiatives will be taken to provide incentives to players who only participate in the Olympic Games.

Chief Minister Sai also informed that he himself is the President of the State Archery Association and has been fond of archery since childhood. He said that an archery academy is being built in Jashpur with the cooperation of NTPC, which will give special benefits to the local players. He also mentioned that Chhattisgarh is an industry-oriented state and rich in mineral resources. The government will try to develop infrastructure for sports through CSR funds.

Addressing the meeting, Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Tank Ram Verma said that under the guidance of Chief Minister Sai, the sports decoration ceremonies which were closed for years have been restarted. He informed that the list of outstanding players will also be announced soon. Verma said that there is no dearth of sports talent in the state, the only need is to give them proper training and opportunities.

He further informed that Chhattisgarh Yuva Ratna Award has also been announced under the leadership of Chief Minister Sai, under which youth who excel in the fields of sports, art, music, literature, industry, trade etc. will be encouraged. He also said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, work is being done to promote sports in every district under the ‘Khelo India’ scheme. Referring to the Bastar Olympics, he informed that the Prime Minister has also praised this event in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program.

On this occasion, MP and Vice President of Olympic Association Vijay Baghel also addressed the meeting and appreciated the efforts being made by the State Government to expand sports in the state. He apprised the Chief Minister of the needs and expectations of the Chhattisgarh Olympic Association and emphasized on organizational strength and availability of resources.

In the meeting, General Secretary of Chhattisgarh Olympic Association, Vikram Singh Sisodia, while presenting the annual report for the year 2024-25, expressed gratitude for the support received from the state government. He said that a positive sports environment is being created in the state due to the decisions and support taken by the government for the development of sports. Many officials of the association were present on this occasion.