Delhi sports policy will be successful when players start winning lots of medals for India: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said his government’s sports policy will be successful only when players start winning lots of medals for the country in international events, more than China and the US.

He was speaking at an event to honour those who won medals at the Tokyo Olympics.

Showing his government’s commitment towards developing the state as a cradle for sportspersons, Kejriwal also handed over monetary awards to Delhi’s Olympians for making the country proud at the highest level.

”The sports policy that we have drafted in Delhi is a cohesive and constructive approach towards the development of sports as a skill in the state. We studied the sports policies of every single state in India and churned out whatever good we could out of them into our policy. ”This policy has three cornerstones — to develop a culture of sports in Delhi by motivating the general public and their children to play as much as they want, to identify the potential of sportspersons at the nascent stages and support them financially and otherwise and to incentivise those who have proved their mettle at the international stage,” Kejriwal said.

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”The policy has been doing great but I will only consider it to be successful when more medals start coming home. To blow our trumpet without a lot in our kitty won’t be justified. ”The day this country leaves behind China and America in these sports is when we will be satisfied. This can’t just be implemented throughout policy intervention. It needs a mindset intervention. To develop a sports positive mindset, we have developed the Delhi Sports University,” he added.

The CM honoured Olympic Bronze Medallist Bajrang Punia with a cheque of Rs 1 crore while Olympians Manika Batra, Deepak Kumar and Coach Shallaz Kumar were awarded Rs 10 lakh each. The CM also handed over Paralympic Bronze Medallist Sharad Kumar his letter of appointment as an assistant director in the education department at the event.

”There is no lack of potential in India. Governments did not support players properly and hence we are bridging the gap and supporting talent. Delhi’s sports policy has three cornerstones — promoting a pro-sports culture in the state, identifying young talent and incentivising sportspersons who bring laurels. Will only be satisfied with our sports policy when we leave behind China and America in the arena.

”We have developed Delhi Sports University for the cause and will do whatever we can to make it a success. I Call upon all sportspersons to contribute to the Delhi Sports University and prepare champions of the future,” Kejriwal said. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said that if we expect 24 carat medals from players, then we need to provide 24 carat facilities to them too. Kejriwal said the Delhi policy is being praised by many but will only be considered successful once the country wins medals.

”Ours is a country of 130 crore people and still we win less medals. This policy will be successful once we start winning a lot of medals and when we leave China and the US behind on the sports map,” he said.

Noting that sports has to be taken to a different level, he said his government has set up the Delhi Sports University to fulfil that objective. ”We will do whatever is possible to make it successful,” he said.

Kejriwal also urged the Olympic medallists to associate themselves with the sports university to avail facilities and to contribute to it.

”We will do it together. There is no dearth of talent in the country. We have to identify them,” he added.