Gandhinagar, Aug 15 (IANS) Young Indian athletes heaped praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of a nationwide talent hunt programme in his speech from the Red Fort on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day in New Delhi on Saturday.
During his speech, PM Modi reiterated India’s ambition to host the 2036 Olympics, while also emphasising the need to groom young athletes for the upcoming global tournaments.
During his speech, Modi also announced a nationwide talent hunt program to expand the pool of talent so that Indian athletes can qualify in a much wider variety of Olympic events.
“India’s performance is improving, and we are strong contenders to become an Olympic host in 2036. We are hosting the CWG in 2030. There are about 40 disciplines in the Olympics, with nearly 350 events. Sadly, we are not able to even compete in at least two-thirds of these events because we are not even able to qualify,” he added.
“We have decided that in 2036, we should participate in at least three-fourths of the events. We are launching a nationwide talent hunt for children aged 5 to 15 to identify prospects in every corner of the country. They will get special training to become world-class athletes,” he said.
Several young athletes reacted to Modi’s announcement as they hailed the new initiative. Sujata, an international handball player, called the initiative a ‘very good one’.
“PM Modi’s talent hub initiative is a very good step. If we have to field a strong team for the 2036 Olympics, we need to identify talent in rural places also. If children aged 5-10 get timely opportunities and good coaching, then India can excel in several sports in the future,” Sujata, who has participated in several Youth Asian and World tournaments in handball, told IANS.
Meanwhile, Nitin, a national-level player, also heaped praise on the initiative. “There are more than half of the games that India does not participate in. This initiative is a very good one. Under this, children aged 5-10 can get opportunities. This is a much-needed step,” he said.
Handball coach Binoy D.S also reacted to the decision, stating that the initiative will allow children to come up from grassroots levels.
“The main thing in the message that the Prime Minister gave for India today was to give maximum chances to our young players, so that we can find children from the grassroots level and provide maximum support in other games to prepare them to play for India. That was the main thing in the Prime Minister’s message today,” he said.
Kho Kho World Cup winner, Sachi Bhargo, also hailed the PM’s step. “PM Modi is putting in efforts for the Indian athletes, keeping in mind the Commonwealth Games 2030 and the 2036 Olympics. His efforts to identify 5-10 year old talents from grassroots levels are a good step. This can enable more athletes to bring medals at the international level,” Bhargo said.
Dhanvin Khopkar, a Kho Kho player, also gave his reaction to the announcement, stating that this can help India win more medals at the international stage. He also hoped Kho Kho would become an Olympic sport in the future.
“The initiative is a very needed one. There are many sports in which our country does not have representation. So, this program can enable several children to emerge and compete in such sports and help us win more medals. Kho Kho should also be included in the Olympics, so that children can get the chance to play that as well,” he said.
–IANS
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