Guwahati News Desk: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually inaugurated the second Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg on Friday
PM said that the event is a step towards making Jammu and Kashmir a hub of winter sports.
The Games are being organised by the sports ministry and the Winter Games Association of Jammu and Kashmir. The event will conclude on March 2 where athletes from 27 states and Union Territories are competing.
PM Modi in his virtual address said, “This is a step towards making India’s presence felt in the international winter games arena and also make Jammu and Kashmir a hub of winter sports. These games in Gulmarg show that Jammu and Kashmir are eager to reach new heights of peace and development. These Games will strengthen the resolve for ‘Ek Bharat, Shreshth Bharat’.”
He further added, “I am told the participation has doubled this year and it is a reflection of the inclination towards winter sports in the country.”
During the event, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju was present in Gulmarg for the inauguration.
Rijiju said, “Sports joins states and communities. When a woman from north-east Mary Kom wins a medal, the entire country celebrates. Sports and culture are the soft powers of a country. Last time we had announced 100 small Khelo India centres here. We have already approved 40 of them and the rest will be approved in the coming financial year. We have also decided to give Mata Vaishno Devi Sports Complex a Khelo India Academy accreditation.”