With over 40000 young participants Himachal Pradesh to organise rural olympiad: Minister Vikramaditya Singh

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], May 17 (ANI): Sports and Public Works Department Minister Himachal Pradesh, Vikramaditya Singh, announced on Tuesday that the state would host a Rural Olympiad with close to 40,000 participants in an effort to promote sports and shun drug menace among the youth.
The Sports and Public Works Department Minister stated that the government of Himachal Pradesh would organize a Rural Olympiad in all Subdivisions of the state from September-October 2023.
Singh added, "Almost all games will be organized from block level to district level in the Olympiad. After Covid-19, the youth are in a state of trauma and it is important to bring them out of the trauma."
Addressing the media in Shimla, Sports Minister Vikramaditya Singh stated on Tuesday that a meeting was held with the sports associations of Himachal Pradesh to discuss how the Olympiad should be run and how to fund it and that numerous proposals were made by the organisations.
The Public Works Minister also added that a new sports policy would be introduced and that steps would be taken to promote sports among the youth in the state.
"We are coming up with a new sports policy and we shall be taking steps to promote the sports activities in the state. We shall organize a rural Olympiad at the block level in the state. We shall do this with corporate funding in CSR," he said.
Singh also said that with nearly 40,000 young participants, the idea of a Rural Olympiad was to shun drug use and promote sports activity among the young generation of the state. He also said that it was essential to bring the youth out of mental stress after the Covid period.
"We shall ask a big corporate house to adopt a game, the government will move forward with the suggestions given by the stakeholders. It is important to bring the youth out of the trauma after Covid-19 youth are under mental stress. We will inculcate the sports activity among the youth. We shall bring in nearly 40000 youth in the rural Olympiad. We want to shun the drugs and also to promote sports in the state," he said.
Addressing the media in Shimla the Public Works Minister of Himachal Pradesh said that to promote sports, a sports project 'Apno Ke Naam 'plan will be started, in which any person in any area could cooperate by funding a ground or game in his name.
He also informed that a Sports Minister Relief Fund will be created in the state so that sportspersons could be helped immediately in times of need. He said that the reservation quota will be increased beyond three per cent.
Singh also said that in the coming times, an annual sports calendar would be prepared and that a new sports policy would be introduced in the state. He also talked about bringing a regular policy for adventure sports in the state. (ANI)