Dehradun: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami participated in the closing ceremony of the MP Sports Festival-2025 at the Old Multipurpose Hall in Tibetan Market, Dehradun on Thursday. On this occasion, he also honored the winning teams in various sports competitions.
Paying tribute to former Prime Minister and Bharat Ratna, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on his birth anniversary, the Chief Minister said that this occasion is not just a date, but an opportunity to pay homage to nation-building, good governance, and democratic values. He taught through his life that politics is not a means of power, but a commitment to national service. From the formation of Uttarakhand state to giving a new direction to the country, he always dreamt of promoting youth, athletes, and talent. The emergence of a strong, confident, and disciplined young India through sports today is a true tribute to Atal Ji’s ideals.
The Chief Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi guided and encouraged the players virtually at the closing ceremony of the MP Sports Festival today. He said that the MP Sports Festival, which started with the inspiration of the Prime Minister, has today become not just an event, but a powerful medium for identifying sporting talent from every village. This festival has given the youth of the state a platform from where they are making their mark at the district, state, and national levels. This is a strong example of putting the message of “Fit India, Sports India, Strong India” into practice. Through this, local, traditional, and folk games have been revived, and children from all sections of society have received opportunities to play. Sports are the most effective means of keeping youth away from drugs and giving them a positive direction.
The Chief Minister said that in the 38th National Games held in Uttarakhand, the players of Uttarakhand added a golden chapter to the state’s sports history by winning 103 medals. Today, Uttarakhand is being recognized not only as Devbhoomi (Land of Gods) but also as a land of sports. Uttarakhand is now counted among the leading states in the country in terms of world-class sports infrastructure. The Chief Minister said that a “Sports Legacy Plan” is being implemented in the state, under which 23 sports academies will be established in eight major cities. These academies will provide high-level training to 920 world-class athletes and 1000 other players every year.
The Chief Minister said that rapid progress is also being made towards establishing Uttarakhand’s first sports university in Haldwani and a women’s sports college in Lohaghat. He said that under the new sports policy, medal-winning athletes at the national and international levels are being given “out-of-turn” government jobs. The state government is encouraging emerging young players through programs such as the Chief Minister’s Sports Development Fund, the Chief Minister’s Player Promotion Scheme, the Chief Minister’s Emerging Player Scheme, and the Sports Kit Scheme. On the occasion of National Sports Day, outstanding athletes from the state were also awarded a prize money of Rs. 50 lakh each.
Present on the occasion were Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, Lok Sabha MP Smt. Mala Rajya Lakshmi Shah, State Minister Smt. Vinod Uniyal, Special Principal Secretary Sports Amit Sinha, Chief Development Officer Dehradun Abhinav Shah, and other dignitaries and athletes.
