Grand celebration of National Sports Day in Ahmedabad in the presence of Governor Acharya Devvrat

Honoring of talented players and coaches who have made special contributions to the sports sector of Gujarat by dignitaries

Ahmedabad, Gujarat : On the occasion of National Sports Day, the annual awards ceremony was organized grandly in Ahmedabad by the Sports Journalists Association of Gujarat in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Gujarat. The ceremony was held under the chairmanship of Governor Acharya Devvrat and in the special presence of former Rajya Sabha MP Narhari Amin.

In his motivational address, Govern Acharya Devvrat called sports indispensable for the all-round development of the youth. He expressed concern and said that in today’s time, the addiction to mobile and screens is damaging the future of children, from which the best way out is playgrounds. The inexhaustible energy in children can be misguided if it is not given the right direction. Recounting his experiences at Kurukshetra Gurukul, he said that through strict discipline and sports, even ordinary children can bring glory to the country by winning gold medals in international level competitions. He narrated the inspiring stories of Gurukul Kurukshetra student and Commonwealth Gold Medalist wrestler Rajendra and top Haryana police officers Zorawar Singh and Surendra and gave information about the importance of sports in life. He emphasized on identifying the sports talent of children from the age of 5 and training them through scientific methods. Along with this, he called for adopting natural agriculture for excellent health and building a healthy and strong India through environmental protection.

In the program, former Rajya Sabha MP Shri Narhari Amin said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sports budget has been increased by 33 times. Under these schemes, more than 2800 players are being provided with scholarships of ₹5 lakh annually and world-class coaching. Talking about world-class infrastructure facilities like the state-of-the-art Veer Savarkar Sports Complex built in Ahmedabad, he said that Gujarat’s athletes are now fully equipped to bring glory to the country at the global level.

On this solemn occasion, two veterans were awarded the prestigious ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ for their long-term contribution to the sports world of Gujarat. In which Mayur Patel, who was the coach of world-famous chess player Viswanathan Anand, and coach Jayaprakashbhai Patel, who has made many Ranji Trophy players through selfless service to Gujarat cricket, were specially honored.

In the program, more than 17 talented players and leaders who have made special contributions to the sports field of Gujarat were honored with trophies and certificates.

The ceremony was attended by Sports Journalists Association of Gujarat President Tushar Trivedi, Secretary Narendra Pancholi, Petron Hitesh Patel, Vice President Sabu Cherian, Ramakrishnan Pandit, Sports Authority of Gujarat’s Mamta Prajapati, office bearers of various sports associations, senior players and invited guests in large numbers.

Report – Abhijit Tushar Bhatt (Political Editor)