PM Narendra Modi Opens 3rd Khelo India University Games, Highlights Role of Sports in Empowering Society and Enhancing National Pride

PM Modi inaugurates the Khelo India University Games 2023, highlighting the initiative’s role in societal empowerment and India’s sports transformation.

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially launched the third edition of the Khelo India University Games 2023, acknowledging that the initiative has become an important vehicle for the vision of ‘Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat’.

The games, inaugurated via video conferencing, will see participation from more than 4750 athletes across 200 universities, competing in 21 sports categories.

The PM celebrated the transformative period of the last nine years in India, wherein sports became not just a national endeavor but also a medium to empower society.

Acknowledging the previously neglectful attitude towards sports, PM Modi emphasized the shift in perception that now sees sports as an appealing profession, attributing this shift to the Khelo India Abhiyan.

Significant strides have been made in urban sports infrastructure under the Khelo India initiative, with a marked rise in budget allocation for sports, allowing for a three-fold increase compared to nine years ago. The PM also acknowledged the expansion of sports facilities across Uttar Pradesh, including Lucknow and Varanasi.

PM Modi praised the Khelo India University Games for its role in providing athletes with better competition exposure, building confidence, and garnering positive results in international competitions.

He also announced that the National Educational Policy has proposed to include sports as a subject in the curriculum, and the construction of the country’s first National Sports University will further solidify sports education in India.

The PM noted that Khelo India has revived the prestige of traditional Indian sports and reported that the government has provided scholarships to encourage participation in indigenous sports like Gatka, Mallakhamb, Thang-ta, Kalaripayattu, and Yogasan. The initiative has also seen a significant rise in female participation, with around 23,000 women athletes taking part in the Khelo India Women’s League across various cities in India.

Concluding his address, PM Modi emphasized the importance of sportsmanship and decorum, and stated that athletes have a responsibility to elevate the glory of the Tricolour. “A winner becomes a great player only when he always follows the spirit of sportsmanship and dignity. A winner becomes a great player only when society takes inspiration from his every conduct”, he said.