Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Dev Sai inaugurated the state sports awards ceremony at the Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in the capital city of Raipur, where 544 talented athletes from various sports disciplines were honored. This marks the resumption of the sports awards ceremony after a hiatus of four years in the state.
During the event, CM Vishnu Dev Sai emphasized the importance of nurturing talent and stated that talent is a divine gift that uplifts society. He highlighted the government's commitment to promoting sports by announcing the establishment of national and international-level residential sports academies in Chhattisgarh. Additionally, a sports promotion scheme will be launched to revive traditional sports in the state.
Furthermore, decisions have been made to construct modern sports stadiums in Jashpur, Raigarh, and Baloda Bazar districts to provide better infrastructure for athletes.
This initiative to revive and recognize sporting talent comes after a lapse during the previous government's tenure. The BJP-led government has reinstated the sports awards ceremony, demonstrating its commitment to supporting athletes in Chhattisgarh.
In addition to honoring athletes, various awards were conferred, including the Shaheed Rajeev Pandey Award, Shaheed Kaushal Yadav Award, and Veer Hanuman Singh Award, among others, recognizing outstanding performances in different sports categories.
The government has also allocated substantial prize money to encourage athletes, with Rs. 30.36 lakh awarded to 269 athletes for the year 2019-20 and Rs. 19.32 lakh awarded to 142 athletes for the year 2020-21 who excelled in national competitions.
The revival of the sports awards ceremony reflects the government's commitment to promoting sports and recognizing the efforts of athletes in Chhattisgarh.