Chandigarh, August 31: Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini called upon the youth to make sports an essential part of their lives, following the discipline, hard work, and dedication exemplified by hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. Addressing participants at a “Cyclothon” organized in Kurukshetra on National Sports Day, the CM urged young athletes to aim for the highest medal tally at the 2036 Olympic Games.
Before the event, the CM launched the “Mera Kurukshetra, Mera Abhiman” website and flagged off the “Swachh Kurukshetra, Mera Kurukshetra” campaign, encouraging youth to link fitness with cleanliness. He also stressed staying away from drugs, calling it a social evil that destroys individuals and communities alike.
Paying tribute to Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary, the CM highlighted his role in shaping India’s golden hockey legacy, which earned the sport its recognition as the national game. He reminded the youth that the theme of this year’s National Sports Day, “Ek Ghanta, Khel Ke Maidan Mein”, meant dedicating at least one hour daily to sports for physical and mental fitness, aligning with PM Narendra Modi’s vision of “Fit India – Hit India.”
Saini said Haryana is already recognized as the “nursery of sports,” with its athletes making the nation proud in the Olympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games. He noted that Haryana athletes won 5 out of India’s 6 medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics and 4 out of 7 at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Similarly, in the 2022 Asian Games, 28 of India’s 111 medals came from Haryana athletes, while they secured 20 medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
The CM emphasized the state’s commitment to nurturing talent through 1,489 sports nurseries training over 37,000 athletes. Young players receive monthly stipends—₹1,500 for those aged 8–14 and ₹2,000 for ages 15–19. The state has also provided government jobs to 224 athletes under the Haryana Outstanding Sportsperson Service Rules 2021 and reserved posts from Class-I to Class-IV for sportspersons.
Haryana, he added, is the only state offering the highest cash rewards to medal winners, with ₹593 crore distributed so far, alongside stipends, scholarships, and sports equipment. Over 29,000 students have benefitted from scholarships worth ₹53.45 crore since 2014.
The CM reaffirmed Haryana’s goal to prepare athletes capable of bringing the maximum medals at the 2036 Olympics and making India a global sporting powerhouse.
