PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh
The Sports University will be established at an estimated cost of about Rs 700 Crore and will be equipped with modern and state of the art sports infrastructure including synthetic Hockey ground, Football ground, Basketball / Volleyball / Handball / Kabaddi ground, Lawn tennis court, Gymnasium hall, Synthetic running stadium, Swimming pool, Multipurpose hall and a Cycling velodrome.
The University will have the capacity of training 1080 sports persons including 540 female and 540 male sportspersons.
The university will also house facilities for Shooting, Squash, Gymnastics, Weightlifting, Archery, Canoeing and Kayaking, among other facilities.
He also used the platform to attack the previous governments in UP.
“Earlier, criminals and mafia used to enjoy ‘playing’ in Uttar Pradesh. There were ‘tournaments’ of illegal land-grabbing in the state. And the government was busy playing its own games. Now, Yogi Adityanath’s government is playing ‘Jai, Jail’ with such criminals,” he said.
“In Indian history, Meerut has not just been a city but a significant center of culture and strength,” the Prime Minister said.
He lauded that now the Yogi government is imposing fear of law among such criminals.
“Before 2017, Meerut’s daughters were afraid to go out of the house. Now, they are making the country proud. Now, actual sports are being promoted in UP,” he added.
‘डबल बेनिफिट’, ‘डबल स्पीड’… डबल इंजन सरकार की पहचान है
पश्चिमी उत्तर प्रदेश के लोग अच्छी तरह जानते हैं कि
आप उधर हाथ लम्बा करोगे तो लखनऊ में योगी जी
और इधर हाथ लम्बा करोगे तो दिल्ली में मैं हूं ही आपके लिए:
“Earlier, sports and sportspersons weren’t taken seriously. The previous governments did not offer them any support. It was their responsibility to change the mindset of the people. Most of the sports were ignored. A sport like hockey, where Major Dhyan Chand made the country proud, wherein we had dominated, had to wait several years before another medal. This was the story of every sport. The talent of sportspersons was bound by shackles,” the PM said.
“Meerut was Major Dhyan Chand’s ‘karmsthal’. The Centre named the country’s biggest sports award after him, and now, Meerut’s Sports University will be dedicated to Major Dhyan Chand Ji,” he said.
Earlier, PM Modi offered prayers at the Kali Paltan temple, where he was accompanied by Governor Anandiben Patel and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
The Prime Minister stressed that for sports in the country to thrive, it is necessary that the youth should have faith in sports and should be encouraged to take up sports as a profession.
An official statement issued by the Prime Minister’s office said that the university would be established at Salawa and Kaili villages of Sardhana town in Meerut at an estimated cost of Rs 700 crore.
The Prime Minister said that the sporting eco-system comprising sports, sports management, sports writing, sports psychology etc, creates new possibilities.
The Prime Minister also paid floral tributes at the Amar Jawan Jyoti and Shaheed Smarak at Meerut Cantt. After the ceremony, several beneficiaries of the Centre’s Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana and Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana will be felicitated by PM Modi.
