Assam's sporting heroes fulfilling PM Modi, CM Sarma's dreams: BJP

Assam BJP lauded athletes like Lovlina Borgohain, crediting their success to PM Modi's Khelo India and CM Sarma's state initiatives. The party highlighted significant investments in sports infrastructure to foster future international talent.

On the eve of the Prime Minister's visit, the outstanding achievements and glory brought to the nation through sports by Lovlina Borgohain, Hima Das, Uma Chetry and Simu Das have been widely discussed across the country. In this regard, the Assam State BJP issued a press release stating that these Assamese daughters have fulfilled the dreams of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

In a press statement, State BJP spokesperson Jayanta Kumar Goswami said that after assuming office as Prime Minister in 2014, Narendra Modi launched ambitious initiatives, such as Khelo India, to promote sports development in the country. "Under this initiative, and due to the continuous efforts of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the state has been able to build sports infrastructure across every region of Assam in recent years. As a result, athletes like Lovlina in boxing, Hima in athletics, and Uma and Simu in cricket have been able to bring international recognition to the state and the nation," he said in the press release.

Major Infrastructure and Training Initiatives

It also stated that the state government, through the Mission Olympic programme, is actively working to prepare athletes for international competition by strengthening sports infrastructure. "At present, high-level training facilities have been arranged for 500 selected athletes to help them succeed at national and Olympic-level competitions. With the support of Numaligarh Refinery and Oil India, two high-standard sports training centres have been established in Jorhat and Guwahati. In the 2024-25 financial year, the government initiated work valued at Rs 832 crore to develop Guwahati's Nehru Stadium into a world-class sports complex. In addition, construction has begun on a new stadium at Chandrapur for Rs 300 crore, and a world-class sports project at Khanikar in Dibrugarh, capable of accommodating 15,000 spectators, for Rs 401 crore," said in the press release.

Expanding Sports to Rural and Regional Areas

The State BJP further stated in a press release that, for sports development in the BTC region, an advanced playground has been constructed in Kokrajhar for Rs 28.3 crore. "Under the Uttaran Scheme, 33 playgrounds have been constructed in rural areas for Rs 300 crore, giving rural sports a new dimension. The government has also decided to allocate Rs 500 crore to various sports organisers and clubs to encourage the younger generation to participate in sports. Work has begun on a world-class cricket stadium in Amingaon, Guwahati, with a seating capacity of 20,000 and a cost of Rs 380.66 crore, positioning Guwahati as a hub of world cricket."

Fostering Talent at the Grassroots Level

"Yesterday, the Chief Minister inaugurated a rural sports project in Abhayapuri at Rs 12.32 crore, providing facilities for local youth to advance in sports. The state cabinet has also decided to implement the Olympic Value Education Scheme in 250 government and private schools across the state to promote excellence in sports among students from an early age. By organizing events such as inter-tea garden football, Panchayat- and Assembly-level sports competitions, and MP sports tournaments, the government is attracting the new generation towards sports," it said.

As a result, the statement concludes, in the future the youth of Assam will be able to bring international glory to the state and the nation, just like Lovlina, Hima, Uma and Chimu. (ANI)

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