Speaking at the event, Himanta Biswa Sarma said it was a matter of great pride for the State and its residents for playing host to a sporting event of this magnitude.
He said sports have the potential to foster unity among various groups of people and that they contribute greatly towards the idea of “Ek Bharat, Sresth Bharat”. The Chief Minister added that sports promote national integration by making the sportspersons familiar with culture and tradition of regions other than their own.
Sarma exuded confidence this edition of Khelo India University Games shall continue with the tradition of promoting the ideals of brotherhood and amity.
He expressed hope the athletes from more than 200 universities across the country shall take back home fond memories from Assam and the rest of the Northeast.
Sarma said Assam has been hosting sporting events of great magnitude in the past few years and the State would like to once again host the National Games.He appealed to Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur to look into the prospect of Assam hosting the National Games in near future. He said the Government of Assam has been working relentlessly to transform Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream to see the country becoming a sporting superpower into reality. With this objective in mind, a Rs 800-crore Nehru Stadium redevelopment project has been launched, he said. Also, state-of-the-art stadiums in Amingaon and Chandrapur are also coming up, he added.The Chief Minister further added there shall be a Rs 50-crore sports complex in every district headquarters and a Rs 12-crore sports complex in every Legislative Assembly Constituency of the State.
The Chief Minister exuded confidence the sporting legacy of the State will grow further and bring greater glories for Assam in days to come.
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