Haryana’s identity as the land of strong farmers and champion wrestlers will gain further global recognition, says Chief Minister
Chandigarh, December 23: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Tuesday said that athletes from the state will enter the 2036 Olympic Games with the clear objective of winning the highest number of medals for India. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the vision of establishing India as a global sporting power in the 2036 Olympics, and Haryana’s players will play a decisive role in achieving this goal.
Addressing the closing ceremony of the MP Sports Festival 2025 at Dronacharya Stadium in Kurukshetra, the Chief Minister said Haryana’s athletes will further strengthen the state’s global identity as the land of resilient farmers and fearless wrestlers. He praised the dedication and determination of players who continue to bring laurels to the country at national and international platforms.
Earlier, the Chief Minister, along with MP Naveen Jindal and former minister Subhash Sudha, honoured the winners of the MP Sports Festival 2025 with cash prizes and awards. Special honours were presented to shooter Gurjot Singh and para-athlete Dilbagh Singh from Hisar. The Chief Minister congratulated Naveen Jindal and his team for successfully organising the festival, noting that over 1.10 lakh athletes participated across various sporting disciplines, making it one of the largest sports events in the region.
Saini said the Haryana government has developed a year-round sports calendar to promote athletic excellence. Under this initiative, competitions such as the Khel Mahakumbh, state-level wrestling tournaments, boxing, volleyball, athletics, badminton, swimming, basketball and handball events are organised regularly. He recalled that 11 years ago, the state adopted a clear sports vision focused on connecting every child with sports, developing playgrounds in every village and providing opportunities to youth passionate about athletics, with the long-term goal of making Haryana a global sports hub.
Highlighting Haryana’s achievements, the Chief Minister said the state is now known as the nursery of Indian sports. Athletes from Haryana have consistently raised the tricolour at the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. To nurture talent from a young age, the state has established 1,472 sports nurseries where over 37,000 players are receiving training along with financial assistance.
He further stated that under the Haryana Outstanding Sportsperson Service Rules, 2021, 550 new posts were created and 231 athletes have already been given government jobs. Medal-winning athletes are awarded cash incentives of up to ₹6 crore, and so far, ₹683.15 crore has been distributed among more than 16,000 players. Scholarships worth ₹70 crore have also been provided to over 24,000 students since 2014. Additionally, sports equipment has been distributed to over 15,600 athletes under the Haryana Sports Equipment Provision Scheme.
The Chief Minister also congratulated Haryana’s women badminton team for winning the gold medal at the 78th Inter-State Inter-Zonal Badminton Championship 2025 in Vijayawada, praising both players and coaches for their achievement.
Addressing the gathering, MP Naveen Jindal said the MP Sports Festival 2025 was not merely a concluding event but the beginning of a new sporting era in Kurukshetra. He expressed his vision of ensuring sports infrastructure and trained coaches in every village, along with gym facilities over the next two years. Jindal said the festival has played a vital role in motivating youth to stay away from substance abuse and channel their energy into sports.
The event concluded with the announcement of winners across multiple disciplines, with teams from Pundri, Guhla, Radaur-Sadhaura and other regions securing top positions in cricket, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball and tug-of-war competitions.
