NEW DELHI: Sports minister Kiren Rijiju on Tuesday held a meeting with sports ministers of 18 states and Union Territories on the opening day of a two-day virtual meeting to chalk a way forward amid Covid-19.
The states which were part of the discussions on Day 1 were Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Kerala, Ladakh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttarakhand and West Bengal.
“The ministers and officers made some valuable suggestions about sports and youth affairs related issues...briefed me about their preparations for post-Covid. I am sure we will come out with a roadmap for the way forward,” Rijiju said.
A couple of months back, the sports ministry had launched the “One state one sport” policy and sought states’ say on this matter. While which state will pick up which sport was not discussed in detail, it has been learnt that states had already sent in their suggestions on this matter previously.
“The Khelo India State Centre of Excellence will become the nodal centre for a particular sport where athletes can be groomed at world-class facilities for the Olympics. States can also choose to train athletes in other sports but the focus should be on one or two disciplines,” Rijiju added.