Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the 50th Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship at the Parade Ground, Dehradun, on Saturday. Over 1,000 players from 54 teams across 28 states are participating in the competition, which runs until October 10th. The Chief Minister congratulated the Basketball Federation of India and the Uttarakhand Basketball Association for organizing this event.
The Chief Minister said that the Sub-Junior National Basketball Championship is being held for the first time in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand, a proud and historic occasion for the state. He emphasized that sports are not only a means of entertainment but also teach character building, patience, discipline, and team spirit. The Chief Minister said that initiatives like Khelo India and the Fit India Movement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi have brought a new awareness towards sports in the country, and India is reaching new heights in the field of sports.
The Chief Minister said that after the successful organization of the 38th National Games, Uttarakhand is rapidly emerging as a sports hub. World-class sports infrastructure is being developed in the state at a cost of ₹517 crore. The Sports Legacy Plan will soon be implemented with 23 sports academies in eight major cities, and the first Sports University will be established in Haldwani and a Women’s Sports College in Lohaghat.
The Chief Minister stated that under the “New Sports Policy,” numerous initiatives have been taken to benefit athletes, including out-of-turn government jobs for national and international medalists, the “Player Incentive Scheme,” sports kits, state-level awards, and the restoration of the 4% sports quota. Recently, on National Sports Day, outstanding athletes were awarded honorariums of ₹50 lakh each.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister directed the Dehradun District Magistrate to identify land for basketball training (Basketball Training Academy) in Dehradun and to arrange for a basketball training academy near the Sports University under construction in Haldwani. The Chief Minister directed the Sports Department to take necessary steps for basketball competitions and to organize basketball competitions periodically, like other sports.
MLA Khajan Das, President Uttarakhand Basketball Association Sushil Kumar, General Secretary Basketball Federation of India Kulwinder Singh Gill, Vice President Uttarakhand Basketball Association Aditya Chauhan, Mandeep Singh Grewal and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
