New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed his commitment towards promoting sports to the remote corners of the country. During his address to the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on India’s 79th Independence Day, PM Modi underlined the importance of sports, calling it an essential aspect in India’s pursuit of becoming a developed nation.
PM Modi also praised the new National Sports Policy (NSP) and said it will not only help promote sports to all parts of the country, but will also ensure growth from the grassroots level to the elite Olympics. The National Sports Policy (NSP) 2025 was approved by the Union Cabinet last month.
“We want to promote sports in far-flung areas. The National Sports Policy will help in this matter,” said PM Modi during his Independence Day speech on Friday.
Prime Minister Modi also highlighted how the country has come a long way in accepting sports as a meaningful career from a time when parents used to hesitate in letting their children play sports, as they didn’t view it as a viable career option. He said the acceptance is a good omen and is a sign of the country’s bright future in the sporting arena.
“Sports is an essential aspect of development and I am happy, that from the time when parents used to scoff at children spending time in sports, we have reached a point where it has changed. Now, parents are happy if children take interest in sports,” said PM Modi.
“I consider it a good omen. It fills me with pride to see sports finding a space in Indian families. It is good for India’s future,” he added.
The National Sports Policy 2025 was approved by the Union Cabinet led by PM Modi in July this year. The new policy, which will supersede the existing NSP, 2001, aims to bring reforms in India’s sporting landscape and lay the framework for helping India become a global sporting powerhouse in the years to come. The policy also aims to bring new reforms to improve India’s performance in international sporting events.