Khelo India School Games 2018 Launched by PM Modi
Promising athletes scouted during the Khelo India School Games would be announced a financial assistance package of Rs 5 lakh per annum for the next eight years.
New Delhi, Jan 31: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday launched the Khelo India School Games 2018 here at the Indira Gandhi International Stadium. The nine-day event, beginning today, would conclude on February 8. A total of 199 gold, 199 silver and 275 medals will be up for grabs.
The Khelo India School Games will witness the participation of thousands of under-17 athletes from across the nation. A high-powered committee has been constituted for each priority category of sports to scout talent.
Promising athletes selected by the panel would be provided a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh for the next eight years, in a bid to prepare them for the international tournaments.
The initiative came months after recently appointed Union Minister for Sports and former Olympic medalist Rajyavardhan Rathore said a mechanism needs to be created to financially assist the promising sporting talents.
While launching the inaugural event of Khelo India School Games today, PM Modi said, "Khelo is not only about winning medals. It is an effort to give strength to a mass movement for playing more. We want to focus on every aspect that would make sports more popular across the nation."
Apart from scouting young talent, the PM added, the initiative is aimed at boosting the sporting culture of the nation. "In your busy schedules, devote time to games. Give priority to playing as it keeps you fit and keeps the competitive spirit alive," he was reported as saying.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 31, 2018 07:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).