UP is steadily becoming India’s sports hub: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur stated on Sunday that Uttar Pradesh is slowly becoming a sports centre in India, with the state laying a solid basis for sportsmen to deliver medals to the country. The Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports was addressing a session on ‘Decoding the investment potential of the sports sector in Uttar Pradesh and its role in USD 1 Trillion economy’ held at the Bhardwaj Hanger in GIS.

Praising the Yogi government for organising this Global investors summit, Thakur said, “It is the UP government that has taken the initiative to include the sports sector in the investor summit. No other state has ever done that.”

“In 2021, the Uttar Pradesh government felicitated the Tokyo Olympic medalist. It is common for the states to felicitate the players of their own, but for the first time, the UP government, under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, took the initiative of felicitating the Olympic medalists of the entire country, which is commendable,” he said.

The Union Minister said that it is from rural India that the players have done really well.

“We need more competitions, coaches and trainers in India. UP has a population of 25 crore and its requirements are huge. We need size and scale to attract more investment and we need speed to deliver infrastructure,” he pointed out.

Speaking during the session, Girish Chandra Yadav, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sports, Youth Welfare Department, said, “The country is touching a new dimension in the field of sports. Sports is the means of good health and along with enhancing intellectual ability, it also awakens the spirit of patriotism and physical fitness.”

He stated that the Uttar Pradesh government is committed to the development of athletes. Stadiums have been built in each of the 75 districts. He claimed that there were no stadiums in four district headquarters, which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath approved.

“Uttar Pradesh is a state with a large population. Three sports colleges have been established which will pave the way for the players to move forward. Besides, the new sports policy takes care of the needs of the players. Under One District One Sports, a coach has been appointed in each district. A sports university is also being built in Meerut. UP will soon become a sports hub. Sports will provide employment to the youths of the state,” said Yadav.

He assured that the UP government will extend full support to the investors investing in the state.
During the session, the panellists shared their experiences also.

Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medalist and Founder of Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre said, “For the first time a session is being held on sports in an investors summit. Sports play an important role in the overall development of the state. Sports can also play a vital role in the economy by generating revenue. There has also been a substantial increase in the budgetary allocation for sports this year. Abhinav Bindra Foundation will support athletes who have suffered injuries.”

Dorna (MotoGP) Chief Strategy Officer Carlos Ezpeleta complimented the Government of UP on the effective organisation of the investors event. MotoGP will promote all of UP’s tourism sites to the rest of the world. MotoGP would make an investment of Rs 470 crores in Uttar Pradesh.

Suresh Raina, an Indian cricketer, stated that this state has a lot of promise and praised CM Yogi Adityanath’s efforts in the sports sector.

Former NBA player and Fancode founder Yannick Colaco stated that sports have enormous economic potential not only for sportsmen but also for employment development.

Poul V Jensen, MD of the European Business and Technology Centre, stated that organising an investors meeting required a tremendous amount of effort.