LUCKNOW: “Everyone wins when the team wins,” said PM Modi while inaugurating the 72nd National Volleyball Championship in Varanasi, his parliamentary constituency, via video conferencing on Sunday.
A total of 58 teams from 28 states are participating in the tournament, which will conclude on January 11.
Stressing the need for the ‘Team First’ formula to achieve big goals, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that volleyball is a sport that gave out the message that 'no victory' is ever achieved alone.
Addressing a gathering on the occasion, he added, “Volleyball is not a general sport. This is a game of balance, a sport of coordination. It reflects resolution. Volleyball gives us the message of ‘Team First’; every player plays for their team. I see many things in common between volleyball and the development story of India. This game teaches us that no victory is ever achieved alone,” he said.
The PM said that just like Volleyball, the country was progressing as every individual is working with the collective consciousness of ‘India First’.
Noting that government initiatives were transforming the sports ecosystem in India, with efforts focused on building strong infrastructure, funding mechanisms, and providing young athletes with global exposure, Modi also pointed out that in the past decade, India had hosted more than 20 major international events across several cities, including the FIFA Under-17 World Cup, Hockey World Cup, and major chess tournaments.
“The 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in India, and the country is making strong efforts to host the 2036 Olympics, to give more and more players greater opportunities to compete”, remarked the Prime Minister.
While interacting with players, Modi said: “There’s a saying, ‘If you want to understand Varanasi, you have to come to Varanasi.’ Now that you have all come to Varanasi, you will understand its culture as well. You will find enthusiastic spectators here.”
Bringing the role of opposition in his discourse, PM Modi said that before 2014, the then government was “indifferent towards sports”, but after 2014, infrastructure for sports was developed and upgraded across the country.
“An ambience, more conducive, has been created during the previous decade in the country,” added the PM.
He added that Kashi is emerging as a destination for major sports tournaments, while highlighting the immense hard work of the players to reach that national tournament.
“Their efforts will be tested on the grounds of Varanasi in the coming days,” he stated.
The PM also noted that teams from 28 states of the country had gathered, presenting a beautiful picture of Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat.
Recalling a local saying in Banarasi, Modi observed that the players had now arrived in Varanasi and would also come to know the city.
He emphasised that Varanasi was a city of sports lovers, where wrestling, wrestling arenas, boxing, boat races, and kabaddi were very popular.
He remarked that Varanasi had produced many national-level players, and institutions like Banaras Hindu University, UP College, and Kashi Vidyapeeth had seen their players excel at state and national levels.
Modi underscored that for thousands of years, Varanasi had welcomed all those who came in pursuit of knowledge and art.
He expressed confidence that during the National Volleyball Championship, the enthusiasm of Varanasi would remain high, the players would find audiences to cheer them, and they would also experience the rich tradition of hospitality that Varanasi embodies.
He emphasised that while each player may possess different skills, all play for the victory of their team.
He underlined that everyone has their own role and responsibility, and success comes only when each member of the team fulfilled his/her duty with seriousness, said the PM adding that the nation too was progressing in this manner, from cleanliness to digital payments, from Ek Ped Maa ke Naam to the campaign for a developed India, with every citizen, every section, and every province working with a collective consciousness and the spirit of 'India First'.
Pointing out that today the world is praising India’s growth and economy, Modi said the progress was not limited to the economic front but was also reflected in the confidence seen in the sports arena.
He remarked that in recent years, India’s performance across various sports had consistently improved since 2014, and expressed pride in seeing Gen-Z athletes hoist the tricolour on the field.
The PM recalled that there was a time when both government and society were indifferent towards sports, which created uncertainty among players about their future, and very few youngsters adopted sports as a career.
He claimed that in the past decade, there had been a change in the mindset of both government and society towards sports.
Modi noted that the government had increased the sports budget significantly, and today India’s sports model has become ‘athlete-centric’, with a focus on talent identification, scientific training, nutrition, and transparent selection, ensuring that the interests of players are prioritised at every level.
“Today the nation is riding the 'Reform Express', with every sector and every development destination connected to it, and sports being one of them”, claimed the Prime Minister.
He highlighted that the government had undertaken major reforms in the sports sector, including the National Sports Governance Act and the Khelo Bharat Policy 2025, providing opportunities to the right talent and increasing transparency in sports organisations.
He emphasised that these provisions will allow the youth to advance simultaneously in both sports and education.
The Prime Minister expressed happiness that Varanasi was preparing itself for major events, emphasising that securing a place on the country’s sporting map through the National Volleyball Competition was highly significant for the city.
He recalled that before this championship, Varanasi had hosted several important events that provided opportunities for local people and boosted the local economy, including G-20 meetings, cultural festivals like Kashi Tamil Sangamam and Kashi Telugu Sangamam, the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan, and Varanasi’s designation as the cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
He remarked that this championship is now joining them as another jewel, and observed that such events are positioning Varanasi as a major destination.
Notably, UP CM Yogi Adityanath was present among other dignitaries at the event.
