Pro Govinda League: '75,000 Govindas Insured, Plan To Get In Olympics,' Says CM Eknath Shinde

Chief Minister Eknath Shinde informed that government has insured around 75000 govindas this year. In a recent event celebrating the Pro Govinda League, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde expressed his pleasure at the game of Govinda, which boasts a 100-year tradition, reaching a global audience.

The award ceremony for the Pro Govinda League was held at the NSCI Dome in Worli.The event was attended by  MPs Dr. Shrikant Shinde and Milind Deora, MLA Pratap Sarnaik, Mohammad Durani, and Purvesh Sarnaik, along with competition organizers, team owners, and Govinda squads.

Chief Minister Shinde emphasized the importance of having competition in the game but urged that it should not be life-threatening. He called for a safe Govinda festival this year and highlighted that the game has been played since pre-independence days and is now included in adventurous sports. He assured that the government has taken responsibility for insuring Govinda participants, with insurance provided to 75,000 participants this year.

Shinde also mentioned plans to include the game in the Olympics and announced that 60 Govinda participants will be sent to Spain this year.Further, Shinde acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's efforts through the Khelo India initiative, which has boosted sports participation and led to six Olympic medals, including one by Swapnil Kusale from Kolhapur.

The Chief Minister assured that the government is firmly standing behind the youth, introducing schemes similar to the "Ladki Bacho, Ladki Padhao" program but for boys, and noted Maharashtra as the first state in the country to offer stipends to trainees in skill development programs.

He encouraged youth to take advantage of these opportunities.In the competition, 32 teams participated, with 16 teams showcasing their skills in the finals. This year's top prize was won by the Satara Singham team.