Sports Colleges Planned At Every Division, Playgrounds In All Gram Panchayats: UP CM Yogi Adityanath

Gorakhpur: Reaffirming his strong commitment to the promotion of sports and sportspersons, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the government will move forward with the process of establishing sports colleges at every divisional headquarters, along with developing playgrounds in every gram panchayat, mini stadiums at the block level, and large stadiums at the district level.

Chief Minister Yogi was addressing the award distribution ceremony of the MLA Sports Competition 2025 for the Gorakhpur City Assembly constituency on Monday. Speaking at the event held at Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College, the Chief Minister said, the government is continuously strengthening sports infrastructure. An international stadium is coming up near Beliapar in Gorakhpur, while the regional stadium of Gorakhpur is undergoing renovation at a cost of Rs 63 crore.

A state-of-the-art stadium is also being developed at Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College. In Meerut, the academic session has already commenced at the sports university named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, where world-class construction work is progressing rapidly. He said the government is now preparing to establish sports colleges at every divisional headquarters.

The Chief Minister further stated, he will soon hold a meeting with all institutions in Gorakhpur city. During the meeting, institutions will be encouraged to adopt at least one sport each.

Some support will be extended by the institutions and some by the government. Good coaches will be appointed, providing children with a strong platform to pursue sports.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also shared his future plans regarding the MLA Sports Competition. He said, in the next edition, sports competitions will be organized not only for children and students but also at the ward level for working professionals and retired citizens. Competitions will be held at the ward level, followed by suburban-level events by combining multiple wards, and then large-scale city-level competitions with grand ceremonies where winners will be felicitated.

He informed, competitions for children and students will be organized in three levels for boys and girls, covering basic education, secondary education, and higher education.

The Chief Minister also mentioned that similar initiatives have been planned for cultural programmes in Gorakhpur. Competitions across various art forms such as singing, instrumental music, dance, and theatre will be held in the first week of January. Winners will be honoured during the main events of the Gorakhpur Mahotsav from January 11 to 13.

Explaining the importance of sports, Chief Minister Yogi said, when youth plays, the nation blossoms. The journey towards realizing the vision of a developed India begins here.

He emphasized that success in life is possible only with a healthy body, which can be achieved through sports and yogic practices.

The Chief Minister said, over the past 11 years, there has been a significant transformation in sports and sporting activities across the country. The world now looks towards India in sports such as kabaddi, hockey, badminton, and athletics.

A new level of competition has emerged in events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and World Championships. Keeping this in mind, the government is continuously strengthening sports infrastructure.

Chief Minister Yogi praised the enthusiasm of players who participated despite severe cold conditions. He said, around 1,000 players participated directly and nearly 10,000 players were involved indirectly in the MLA Sports Competition.

The 2025 edition featured competitions in athletics, kabaddi, volleyball, judo, and wrestling. He added, sports not only provide entertainment in both favorable and adverse conditions but also play a major role in keeping individuals physically, mentally, and intellectually fit.

On the occasion, Fisheries Minister Dr Sanjay Nishad said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, sportspersons are receiving equal opportunities to move forward without discrimination, just as in other sectors.

He stated, by eliminating mafia culture in Uttar Pradesh, the government has replaced the culture of illegal weapons with a true sporting environment. Dr Nishad emphasized that the Yogi government is working with full commitment towards the development of sports and the nurturing of sportspersons.

Sports and Youth Welfare Minister Girish Chandra Yadav said, “under the able leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, historic work has been carried out to expand sports infrastructure and nurture sporting talent in the state. Various initiatives to promote sports and sportspersons are progressing rapidly”.

Under the guidance of the Chief Minister, the construction of playgrounds in every gram panchayat and mini stadiums at the block level is moving forward at a fast pace.

Welcoming the Chief Minister at the programme, Member of Parliament Ravi Kishan Shukla said that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is providing excellent resources even to children from rural areas to help them move forward in sports.

He said, CM Yogi is realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Khelega India toh Badhega India ’.

Under his leadership, an international stadium is being developed in Gorakhpur, and the double engine government is ensuring all necessary facilities for sportspersons.

The event was attended by Mayor Dr Manglesh Srivastava, MLAs Fateh Bahadur Singh, Shriram Chauhan, Rajesh Tripathi, Vipin Singh, Pradeep Shukla, MLC Dhruv Tripathi, Vice Chairperson of the State Women’s Commission Charu Chaudhary, Sports Director Dr RP Singh, BJP District President Janardan Tiwari, Metropolitan Coordinator Rajesh Gupta, District Wrestling Association President Dinesh Singh, State Vice President of the Wrestling Association Aditya Singh Aagu, and several other dignitaries.

During the closing ceremony of the MLA Sports Competition, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath watched the final matches of wrestling in the 74 kg weight category and kabaddi. Observing the players’ moves and techniques with keen interest, he applauded to encourage them. During the award distribution, the Chief Minister honoured senior wrestling competition winner Shubham Yadav, runner-up Anurag Yadav, and the players of the senior kabaddi winning team Regional Sports Stadium and runner-up team Neena Thapa by presenting medals, trophies, and gifts.