Himachal Pradesh govt committed to engaging youth in sports, says minister

The current Himachal Pradesh government is making continuous efforts to involve youth in sports. This was stated by Revenue, Horticulture, Tribal Development and Public Grievances Redressal Minister Jagat Singh Negi. He was speaking as the chief guest at the closing ceremony of a five-day Under-19 sports competition held at the Mini Stadium in Kalpa.

The event, which was held from September 24 to 28, saw the participation of 547 contestants from 42 schools across the district. Addressing the students, Negi emphasised that incorporating sports into life contributes significantly to a student’s holistic development. He highlighted the government’s proactive approach in promoting sports among the youth by organising such events and providing modern equipment and facilities.

The minister urged young people to stay away from drugs and adopt sports in their daily lives to help build a healthy society and a strong nation.

The Tribal Development Minister also highlighted the importance of sports alongside academics in shaping students’ lives. To encourage participation, the state government had increased the daily diet allowance for athletes staying in sports hostels from ~120 to ~240, he said. He stressed that involvement in sports not only ensured moral and intellectual development, but also channelised youths’ energy in a positive direction, helping them succeed in life.

Negi announced that a grand sports stadium would be constructed on the site of Kalpa Mini Stadium at a cost of ~28 crore, which would include an athletic track, hockey facilities and indoor sports arenas. Additionally, an ice-skating rink would be built soon in Kalpa, he said. The minister also mentioned the government’s initiatives to promote sports like boxing, kabaddi and athletics at the district and block levels, to enable state athletes to excel at the national and international levels.

During the event, Negi awarded cash prizes worth ~25,000 to winners of the musical instrument competition and announced that the first-place winner of the Shehnai competition at this year’s Kinnaur Festival would be awarded ~1 lakh.

The minister also inspected a grand march-past and enjoyed colourful cultural performances by students from various schools. He honoured winners of the sports events with trophies and certificates. The overall best title of the five-day competition was won by the Government Senior Secondary School, Kanam.

Kuldeep Negi, Deputy Director, Elementary Education, welcomed the chief guest in a traditional manner and briefed him on various events held during the competition.

Other notable attendees present on the occasion included Superintendent of Police Abhishek Shekhar, Zila Parishad member Hitesh Negi, Panchayat Samiti chairperson Lalita Pancharas, Chief Medical Officer Dr Sonam Negi, DSP Naveen Jalta, Kinnaur Women Congress president Saroj Negi, and Congress leaders and workers from Kalpa.