Meerut, Jan 2 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of the first sports university in Meerut and said that it will make local sports talent global.
"Our government set up the first national sports university in Manipur and now the first sports university in Uttar Pradesh will come up in Meerut. The university is named after hockey icon Major Dhyan Chand and the name itself gives us a direction -- to remain focused, to keep 'dhyan'," he said.
he Prime Minister said that earlier, only rich families in urban cities could access sports training and government were apathetic to sportspersons.
"Today, things have changed, India has changed. We are in the 21st century and now wherever the youth goes, India will go," he pointed out.
The Prime Minister slammed previous governments and said that till five years ago, girls could not move out of their homes.
"The previous government was busy playing its own games. Criminals and mafia were playing their own games. The tournaments were for land grabbing and people had started migrating from here. The Sotiganj market was an example of this (The market dealt in scrap form stolen vehicles)," he said.
He said that the Yogi Adityanath government was promoting real games.
"The new university will be built at a cost of Rs 700 crore. Every year, 1,000 students will graduate from this sports university. Students will get facilities of international standards and they can hone their skills. Youth are now writing new chapters of success in the field of sports," he said.
The Prime Minister said that sportsmen lacked respect and if one opted for sports, people believed that he was doing it to get a job.
"We must create a new culture for sports, a new thinking and vision and youth should have faith in sports. The government is providing training, facilities, exposure and transparency to sportspersons. We will take care of fitness and food an sports infrastructure in the rural interiors is also being developed," he stated.
The Prime Minister said that Meerut for a manufacturing hub for sports goods and there is a need to make this sector Atmanirbhar.