Assam: CM Sarma Hopes To Host National Games Again

GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma eagerly expressed his desire to host the upcoming edition of the National Games in the state.

During the opening ceremony of the 4th edition of the Khelo India University Games 2023, Ashtalakshmi, at the Sarusajai Sports Complex in Guwahati, CM Sarma requested the central government to consider granting Assam the opportunity to host the National Games in either 2025 or 2026.

He highlighted Assam's proud legacy of hosting premier sporting events and reaffirmed his government's commitment to fulfilling Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision by investing heavily in the development of sports.

“For the past three years, Assam has been investing heavily in sports development to fulfill PM Narendra Modi’s vision. Accordingly, we have allocated Rs 800 crore to upgrade the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati to a world-class football stadium. Simultaneously, two sports complexes are coming up at Amingaon and Chandrapur. In addition to that, our government has allocated Rs 50 crore to develop sports complexes in each district, and also allocated Rs 12 crore to develop sports complexes in each of the 126 Vidhan Sabha constituencies,” Sarma said.

Chief Minister Sarma highlighted Assam's rich sporting legacy, expressing confidence that an increasing number of athletes from the state will earn accolades for the country in the future, thus enriching the nation's sporting history.

Declaring the Games open, Sarma called on fellow citizens to extend warm hospitality to all participating athletes at the Khelo India University Games 2023. He emphasized Assam's reputation for hospitality and urged everyone to welcome each athlete with that same warmth. ”With these words, I declare the Games open,” he concluded.

In this edition of KIUG, nearly 4,000 athletes will compete for a total of 262 gold medals in 20 sports disciplines over the next two weeks. The competitions will take place in 18 venues across Guwahati and six other cities in the North East from February 19 to February 29, 2024.

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