Dehradun: On the concluding day of the 38th National Games, an event titled ‘Mauli Samvad: National Sports Vision Conclave’ was organized, with Honorable Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami attending as the chief guest. The session commenced with the song ‘Devbhoomi Bani Khelbhoomi’ (The Land of Gods Becomes the Land of Sports). Several dignitaries, including Honorable Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal, 38th National Games CEO Amit Sinha, and others, were present at the event.
Chief Minister Dhami highlighted that Uttarakhand successfully hosted the entire National Games, which in itself is a remarkable achievement. He proudly shared that while Uttarakhand ranked 25th in the 37th National Games, it has now climbed to the 6th position. He credited this success to the athletes, organizers, and the state’s sports policy.
Under the ‘Khel Van’ (Sports Forest) initiative, the Chief Minister, along with gold medal-winning athletes, participated in a tree plantation drive. The objective of this initiative is to promote environmental conservation through sports.
He also emphasized that this edition of the National Games was conducted as ‘Green Games’, ensuring maximum resource reuse. Awards were crafted from e-waste, no food waste was generated, and 1,600 Rudraksha trees were planted by gold medal winners. Additionally, 2.77 hectares of land were designated as ‘Vanbhumi’ (Forest Land).
The Chief Minister also discussed the ‘Drone Didi’ initiative, under which 52 women received 330 hours of training in drone technology. This training covered assembly, flight operations, and computer systems. After an evaluation, five women—Aanchal Arya, Shikha, Kajal Kumar, Priyanshi, and Priyanka Arya—were honored. The key person behind this initiative, Avinash Chandra Pal, was also recognized by the Chief Minister.
Amit Sinha, CEO of the 38th National Games, stated that the event was conducted at 11 different venues across Uttarakhand, with participation from eight Union Territories and the Services Sports Control Board (SSCB). A total of 32 sports events were held, including four demonstration sports.
Key statistics:
– 2200 technicians, 2535 volunteers, and 275 expert sports volunteers contributed to the games.
– Daily food arrangements were made for 25,000 individuals, including athletes and officials.
– 17 national records were set during the event.
Chief Minister Dhami also shared that a nighttime rafting event was organized near the Nepal-India border in Champawat, which was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records. Additionally, the traditional Indian sport ‘Mallakhamb’ was held in Chakarpur village, promoting indigenous sports in border villages.
At the end of the event, Amit Sinha presented mementos to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Forest Minister Subodh Uniyal. The Chief Minister declared that Uttarakhand has now truly become a ‘Land of Sports’ and the state government will continue its efforts to promote sports further.
