Sports are not a waste of time; they are a powerful pathway to holistic development: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath

Sports play a vital role in realizing the vision of Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat: CM Yogi Adityanath

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath felicitates the winners of the 69th National School Games 2025 (Greco-Roman) wrestling competition in Gorakhpur

Gorakhpur, December 4: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath arrived in Gorakhpur today to felicitate the winners of the 69th National School Games 2025 (Greco-Roman) wrestling competition held at Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College. On this occasion, he honored the medalists in the Under-17 and Under-19 categories with medals and awards.

Addressing the young athletes, he said, “Sports play a vital role in the all-round development of an individual, and the way Indian sportspersons are enhancing the nation’s prestige on the global stage is a matter of great pride. Keeping this in mind, the state government has taken significant steps to strengthen sports infrastructure, from the commissionerate to the district, from the district to the block, and in every school and college.”

He also urged the athletes to aim for a strong performance at the 2030 Commonwealth Games, which will be hosted in India.
Congratulating the winners, the Chief Minister reiterated that sports are not a waste of time but a powerful medium for holistic development. He recalled the Indian belief that “shareeramadyam khalu dharmasadhanam”, a healthy body is essential for fulfilling all duties.

He said that sports are driving a new wave of progress, and that the Prime Minister’s vision of Atmanirbhar and Viksit Bharat is deeply connected to the health and strength of the country’s youth. This, he said, will be possible only when sports receive the same importance as education in schools and colleges. The government has already taken several steps in this direction.

The Chief Minister informed that the government has decided to build a stadium in every district and a mini-stadium in every block to promote sports across Uttar Pradesh. At present, mini-stadiums are being constructed in government colleges in 18 districts, with each college receiving nearly ₹5 crore. Similar facilities are also coming up in government colleges of Gorakhpur and Maharajganj. To further encourage sports in educational institutions, the government is providing ₹25,000 to each college, ₹5,000 to schools under basic and secondary education, and ₹10,000 to junior high schools. He emphasized that children can grow and contribute to the nation’s progress only when they actively participate in sports. He also mentioned that a Sports University is being established in Meerut, named after hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Encouraging the participants, CM Yogi said that the athletes competing today in the Under-17 and Under-19 categories must strive to secure medals at the 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad. He advised the runners-up and those who could not win to learn from their shortcomings, remain determined, and continue working hard. He reminded them that the first competition is always with oneself, and when a player competes with self-belief and inner strength, success naturally follows.

Earlier, the Chief Minister also watched the final bouts in both age categories and presented awards to the winners.