Government aspires to give wings to youth living in Naxal affected areas through sports. Sports talent will shine at the national and international level, govt feels.
Ranchi: To instil a culture of sports and identify talent in the state, Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren has directed officials of the Sports Department to work on a special sports scheme named the “Sahai” scheme for the youth residing in Naxal-affected areas.
The Chief Minister has directed these officials to work extensively on especially connect youth below the age of 19 with Sahai scheme. Under this scheme, potential sports talent will be identified from the Panchayat level and taken to the Block level and District level where they will be prepared for national and international sports events.
The scheme will be implemented in coordination with the sports and police departments. The objective of the scheme is to reduce the gap between the people and the police through sports and by giving identity to the budding talent.
Emphasis on organizing more and more tournaments
Under the Sahai scheme, the government plans to organize multiple sports tournaments in collaboration with national and state-level sports federations. Indian women’s national football camp being organized in Jamshedpur from 16 August 2021 is part of the government’s plan to promote the state as a soft sports destination. The camp will prepare women players for the Asian Football Cup which is to be held from 20 January 2022 to 6 February 2022. This will encourage women football players from Jharkhand to play with national-level players and get insight into their past experiences.
The work being done on sports policy will see showcase results in sports scenario of the state
The draft for the new sports policy of the state is almost ready. The policy lays emphasis on developing sports culture across the state. As per the draft sports policy, the government plans to develop free day boarding centres in each block along with equipping every district with modern state of the art residential training centres.
Infrastructure being developed
To promote hockey, stadiums are being constructed in four districts including Khunti, Simdega & Gumla. Football fields are also being developed. Additionally, under Poto Ho Khel Vikas Yojana, work is being done to build a sports ground in every panchayat. Under the scholarship scheme, players will get a scholarship of Rs 3000 to 6000 every month.
Recognition through encouragement and guidance
Chief Minister Shri Hemant Soren said, “performance of Hockey players Salima Tete and Nikki Pradhan and archer Deepika Kumari in the Tokyo Olympics have made the entire state proud. There is no dearth of sports talent in Jharkhand. All they need is proper encouragement and guidance. The government is working on creating sports culture in Jharkhand and soon we will start giving best players for the country.”
