BENGALURU: Bengaluru will soon have another feather in its cap -- that of a sports city, Home Minister G Parameshwara said adding that plans are being chalked to develop a 60-acre sports city in Devanahalli.
He was speaking during a National Sports Day event at Kanteerava Stadium on Thursday to commemorate the birth anniversary of hockey legend Dhyan Chand and celebrate the role of sports in national development.
Noting the decline in enthusiasm for sports as a career among the youth, the minister pointed out that even though Indian sportspersons are well equipped, they have not been winning many championships or medals at international events. “In contrast, smaller countries with fewer facilities, such as those in Africa, still manage to secure medals in the Olympics,” he said.
Highlighting the improvement in sports infrastructure, Parameshwara said Kanteerava stadium now has a synthetic track from the earlier cinder track. Eighteen districts in the state now have synthetic track sports complexes. He also stressed the need to get the youth in sports to tackle drug addiction and alcoholism. The Centre is working to bring the 2036 Olympics to India, he said.
State athletes who represented India at the Paris Olympics were honoured at the event. MLC K Govindaraju, who is also the Chief Minister’s political secretary and president of FIBA Asia and Karnataka Olympic Association, and others were present.
PE TEACHERS PROTEST
Physical education teachers staged a dharna at Freedom Park on Thursday alleging discrimination and delay in implementating benefits. The sit-in was organised in conjunction with National Sports Day. They said while they are recognised as educators, their demands for fair treatment and timely promotions are yet to be addressed.