Assam govt focused on providing competitive platforms to young players CM

Guwahati, Oct 30 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said his government was focused on providing competitive platforms and top-class training facilities to young players.

    He said 'Khel Maharan' is such an initiative to identify talent at a young age and from all areas, as he unveiled the logo, mascot, jersey and theme song for the third edition of the mega sporting event here.

    Speaking on the occasion, Sarma said nearly 60 lakh players have already registered for the event, and expressed hope that this edition would surpass the records set by the previous two editions.

    He maintained that the significance of Khel Maharan is not limited to providing opportunities to players.

    Equally important is its potential to connect talented athletes identified through the competitions with advanced training and higher-level sporting opportunities, he said.

    With this objective, 612 players were selected for specialised training following Khel Maharan 1.0, while another 554 players were selected after the second edition, he added.

    He said under the supervision of experienced national and international coaches, these athletes received opportunities to improve their technical skills, physical fitness and competitive preparedness.

    Highlighting the achievements of athletes identified through Khel Maharan, the chief minister mentioned the success of Assam's Under-17 girls' football team, which won the championship title at the 64th Subroto Cup Football Tournament.

    Khel Maharan 3.0 will feature eight disciplines, and in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's suggestion, a 'Shishu Krira Samaroh' (children's sports festival) has been introduced as part of the event to identify and nurture sporting talent among children below 12 years of age, officials said.

    Under this initiative, under-12 categories have been introduced in athletics, football and volleyball. In swimming, different age groups have been created starting from children aged 5-10 years, they said.

    Sarma emphasised that Khel Maharan has two major objectives -- identifying sporting talent and ensuring widespread public participation.

    He further said the government has also decided to provide financial assistance to 5,000 emerging athletes of the state through monthly scholarships of Rs 3,000 each in phases.

    He also said that following the completion of the sports hostel infrastructure and the redevelopment of Sarusajai and Nehru stadiums in Guwahati, arrangements would be made to provide 1,500 selected athletes with completely free accommodation, food and training facilities.

    These athletes will be identified through Khel Maharan and various competitions organised by the Assam Olympic Association, Sarma added.

    The chief minister appealed to everyone to actively participate in education, sports and cultural activities and work together to transform the state into a powerhouse in all sectors.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)