UP Has The Scale To Attract Investment In Sports To Become A Sports Hub: Anurag Thakur

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Sunday said that Uttar Pradesh is steadily becoming the hub of sports in India. The state is building a strong foundation for athletes to bring medals to the country.

Thakur was addressing a session on ‘Decoding the investment potential of the sports sector in Uttar Pradesh and its role in 1$ trillion economy’, organised at the final day of the UP Global Investors Summit.

Praising the state government for promotion of sports and sportsperson, Thakur said, “Every state felicitates its own players on their achievements. But under Yogi Adityanath, UP became the first state to felicitate olympic medallists from all over the country.” 

The Union Minister said that players from rural India have done really well. “We need more competitions, coaches and trainers in India. UP has a population of 25 crore and its requirements are huge. We need the scale to attract more investment and we need speed to deliver infrastructure”, he pointed out.

Speaking during the session, Girish Chandra Yadav, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Sports, Youth Welfare Department, said, “The country is touching a new dimension in the field of sports. Sports is the means of good health and along with enhancing intellectual ability, it also awakens the spirit of patriotism and physical fitness.”

Yadav added, “The Uttar Pradesh government is dedicated to the development of sportspersons. The government has created stadiums in all the 75 districts of the state. There were no stadiums at 4 district headquarters, for which Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has given his approval,” 

He said, “Under One District One Sports, a coach has been appointed in each district. A sports university is also being built in Meerut. UP will soon become a sports hub. Sports will provide employment to the youths of the state.”

During the session, the panelists shared their experiences also. Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medalist and Founder of Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre said, “For the first time a session is being held on sports in an investors summit. Sports play an important role in overall development of the state. Sports can also play a vital role in the economy by generating revenue. There has also been a substantial increase in the budgetary allocation for sports this year. Abhinav Bindra Foundation will support athletes who have suffered injuries.” 

Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Strategy Officer, Dorna (MotoGP), congratulated the UP government for the successful organisation of the investors summit. MotoGP will showcase all the tourist destinations of UP to the world. MotoGP will invest Rs 470 crores in Uttar Pradesh.

Suresh Raina, Indian cricketer said that this state has a lot of potential and appreciated the efforts of CM Yogi Adityanath in the sports sector. Yannick Colaco, Former National Basketball player and Founder Fancode remarked that sports has vast economic potential not just for athletes but also for job creation.