New Delhi, May 25 ( UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday declared open the 3rd edition of Khelo India University Games 2022 in Lucknow via video conference.
This year, the third edition of the Khelo India University Games will be held from 25th May to 3rd June in Uttar Pradesh.
"The third edition of University Games is very special in itself because this is a way to increase the team spirit in the youth of the country" said the Prime Minister Modi while inaugurating the games.
Congratulating the players who are participating in the game, Modi said " It has become a very good medium to increase the team spirit among the youth and the feeling of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat".
The Prime Minister said earlier only a few thought about making a career through sports and the very reason was that sports didn't get adequate support from the government...adding that besides, no attention was paid to sports infrastructure and to the needs of the athletes" .
Modi said, "the Commonwealth scam was a living proof of the attitude of previous governments towards sports".
Underlining the new initiatives to promote sports culture in the country, he said under the new National Education Policy sports is now going to be a part of the curriculum.
He informed that the creation of the country's first 'National Sports University' will further help in developing a sport culture in the country.
Prime Minister Modi said, "in the schemes for the urban sports infrastructure, the previous govt only spent Rs 300 crore. However, under the Khelo India initiative our government has spent around Rs 3,000 crore".
The Khelo India University Games (KIUG) is now India’s biggest multi-sport competition at the higher education level.
Over 4 000 athletes from more than 200 universities will be competing in 21 sports.
The competitions will be organised in Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Lucknow and Gautam Buddha Nagar.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath , Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of State for Sports Nisith Pramanik and other officials were also presented in the opening ceremony.
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