Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday virtually inaugurated the 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship being held in Kashi, saying the spirit and enthusiasm of the city would remain high throughout the tournament. Addressing players from across the country, Modi said it filled him with pride to see the tricolour in the hands of Gen Z athletes on the sports field.
Referring to a popular local saying, the Prime Minister told participants, “In Banaras, it is said that if you wish to know Banaras, you must come to Banaras. Now that all of you are here, you will also come to know the city.” He said teams from 28 states had gathered in Kashi, presenting a vivid picture of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Modi said there was a time when governments were indifferent towards sports, leaving athletes uncertain about their future, but the situation had changed significantly in recent years.
Earlier, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the country had witnessed the rise of a new sporting culture over the past 11 years. He said initiatives like Khelo India, launched in 2014 under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, had transformed the perception of sports from a waste of time to an essential part of all-round development. He added that sports were now being promoted from villages to cities through various competitions.
A total of 58 teams from across the country are participating in the championship. The Uttar Pradesh men’s team is captained by Shreyansh Singh of the UP Police, while the women’s team is led by Priyanka, also from the UP Police. The opening match is being played between the men’s teams of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Uttar Pradesh is hosting the National Volleyball Championship after a gap of 43 years, with the last edition held in 1984. Before the inauguration, players took part in a march past at the Sigra Stadium as the patriotic tune of “Saare Jahan Se Achha” echoed through the venue. It is the first time Kashi is hosting a volleyball event of this scale.
The stadium has been decorated with colourful flags, championship banners and hoardings, and was filled with players and officials from across the country when Modi virtually inaugurated the national meet.
