Page 30 - NIS English 16-31 August 2025

in it. Today, players from all over the world use differ-
ent sports equipment. India is becoming their quality
manufacturer. There are over 35 thousand small
and big factories manufacturing sports equipment in Our country is diverse, and
Meerut, Uttar Pradesh alone. More than three lakh
people work in them. The country is working to create sports have always been a
this ecosystem in every corner of the country. Under unique force that connects
the TOPS scheme, hundreds of crores of rupees are cultures, regions, and
being invested in players. Under the Khelo India
program, modern sports infrastructure is being built languages.
across the country. Today, sports has become part
of mainstream in schools. The country’s first sports - Narendra Modi,
university is being built in Manipur.
Prime Minister
SPORTS BECOME A PART OF THE NATION’S
ASPIRATION, SOCIETY, AND LIFE
The struggle of Indian players participating in the to prepare a complete strategy for other matters,
Tokyo and Paris Olympics has become an inspiration. including facilities, training, and the selection process
Now the country is aiming to bring India to the top for sports. Experts from the country and abroad were
10 countries in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which included in this task force. The sports budget for the
reflects the government’s far-sighted thinking of Olympics, which was earlier Rs 15-20 crore, has been
the central government. When Narendra Modi took increased to more than Rs 125 crore.
the baton of the country as the Prime Minister, he But to connect the society with sports, the PM
took the initiative to provide a strong ecosystem to appealed to the citizens in his ‘Mann Ki Baat’ program
improve sports infrastructure, sports facilities, and on 28 August of the same year to give suggestions to
performance in the Olympics by taking forward his create an environment for sports. Even before this
experience as the Chief Minister of Gujarat. In August appeal, the Prime Minister described sports as an
2016, the Prime Minister announced in the meeting essential aspect of life for the complete development
of the Council of Ministers that a detailed action plan of personality. He said that in a country like India,
would be prepared for the effective participation of where there are 100 languages, more than 1700 dia-
Indian players in the next three Olympic Games to lects, different clothes and food, if district-level teams
be held in 2020, 2024, and 2028, for which a task keep playing from one end to the other, then it can
force will be formed. This task force was directed become the biggest basis for national unity.

28 NEW INDIA SAMACHAR || August 16-31, 2025