New facilities will make Haryana the ‘Sports Power of India’ says CM
Chandigarh: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that sport is a power that channelizes the energy of youth in a positive direction. When a young person runs on the field, he stays away from drugs and becomes a disciplined partner in nation building.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini was addressing players at the inauguration ceremony of Haryana State Championship–2025 organised at Baragarh in Naraingarh. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone of a Hockey Astroturf field and a four-lane synthetic athletic track to be constructed at a cost of Rs 16.71 crore in this stadium. The Chief Minister also honoured boxer Harnoor Kaur, who won a silver medal at the Asian Games held in October.
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has rightly stated that the player who gives his best performance on the field always moves ahead in life as well. He said the players of Haryana have proved these words true through their lives. Our land has for centuries been the land of warriors, sportspersons, and dedicated workers. Whether it is the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games or National Championships, the sons and daughters of Haryana have always brought glory to the nation. For this, the sportspersons of the State deserve appreciation.
Nayab Singh Saini said that he felt immense enthusiasm and excitement upon arriving at this sacred land of Baragarh. More than 4,000 energetic youths are participating in this event.
The Chief Minister said, “Let the youth’s voice echo on the field. Always think of victory, learn from defeat and never lose courage – rise high and shape your dreams.” He said through this Championship, players will be able to further enhance their level of performance.
He further said that this Championship is being organised at a time when, from November 1 onwards, the State is celebrating the 350th Shaheedi Diwas (martyrdom anniversary) of Hind Ki Chadar Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji sacrificed his life for the protection of the nation and religion and raised his voice against injustice, religious intolerance, and oppression. He said that Guru Tegh Bahadur ji preferred to sacrifice his life but never deviated from his faith. His sacrifice, renunciation, and principles are a source of inspiration for the youth, and the State is observing his Shaheedi Diwas to spread this message.
The Chief Minister said that the construction of this new track will give a new flight to the dreams of our youth. Along with this, the modern Hockey Astroturf field will prove to be an effective step in making Haryana the Sports Power of India. He said that just as the Astroturf ground in the Hockey Academy at Shahbad produced players like Rani Rampal and Savita Punia who led the nation, similarly, the players emerging from here will also bring glory to the country at national and international levels. This stadium too will become a nursery of hockey, similar to Shahbad.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said that with the construction of the four-lane synthetic athletic track, basic sports like athletics will receive a new direction. Every sport begins with running, and when running is done on a modern track, the results too will be world-class.
Chief Minister added that this track will protect players from injuries and help them enhance their speed and performance. Practice on synthetic tracks will enable our athletes to refine their talents to the fullest.
He said that the Government has undertaken the mission of developing sports infrastructure across the State. For this purpose, the sports budget has been more than doubled. In the current financial year’s budget, a provision of around Rs 589 crore has been made for sports.
At present, the State has 3 State-level sports complexes, 21 district-level sports stadiums, 25 sub-divisional stadiums, 163 Rajiv Gandhi Rural Sports Complexes, 245 rural stadiums, 10 swimming pools, 11 synthetic athletic tracks, 14 hockey astroturfs, 2 football synthetic surfaces, and 9 multipurpose halls. In addition, Haryana Sports University has been established at Rai, Sonipat.
The Chief Minister said that emphasis is being laid on encouraging and training players from a young age. For this, a strong sports infrastructure has been created across the State to ensure that players get access to all modern facilities. The Government is setting up sports universities, coaching centres, and modern stadiums in every village. Sports equipment is also being provided to the players under the Haryana Sports Equipment Provision Scheme, under which 15,634 players have been provided with equipment so far.
CM Saini said that with these sports activities and improved sports policies, players will be able to win the maximum number of medals for Haryana in the upcoming Olympic Games of 2028, 2032, and 2036. The players participating in this Championship will also be among them. He added that if players perform with sportsmanship, hard work, and confidence, they will enhance the pride of Haryana and make India’s flag fly higher across the world.
Highlighting the State’s sports achievements, the Chief Minister said that in the Paris Olympics 2024, out of the six medals won by Indian players, five were bagged by athletes from Haryana. The performance of the State in the Asian Games was also remarkable. In the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022, out of the nation’s 111 medals, 28 were won by Haryana players. He added that Haryana’s athletes also dominated the Commonwealth Games. These achievements are the result of the State’s visionary sports policies.
The Chief Minister said that to nurture players from childhood, sports nurseries have been set up across the State where financial assistance and training are provided. The number of sports nurseries in the State has been increased from 1,500 to 2,000. In these nurseries, players aged 8 to 14 years are given Rs 1,500 per month, and those aged 15 to 19 years are given Rs 2,000 per month. In addition, nursery coaches are also being paid an honorarium of up to Rs 25,000.
At the State-level sports event, Principal Secretary, Department of Sports, Navdeep Singh, Director General Sanjeev Verma, Chairman Dharambir Mirzapur, former MLA Dr Pawan Saini, along with several senior officers and distinguished citizens, were present.
