Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 23 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the program organised at Parade Ground in Dehradun on the occasion of International Olympic Day.

On this occasion, the Chief Minister also honoured the players who won medals at the international and national levels and also administered the oath of sportsmanship to the players.

He said that this day is dedicated to the values of sportsmanship, unity and peace. Olympics are not just a competition, but a symbol of dedication, sadhana and national pride.

Chief Minister Dhami said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extensive work has been done to promote sports in the country. India is now emerging as a winner, not just a participant in sports. In the 2023 Asian Games, India performed best with 107 medals, while 126 players from India qualified for the Olympics 2020, which shows the strength of the sports ecosystem in the country.

He further said that the state government is committed to develop Uttarakhand as 'Khel Bhumi'. In the recently held 38th National Games, the players of Uttarakhand made the state proud by winning 103 medals. He added that work is being done rapidly towards the establishment of 23 sports academies, Sports University Haldwani and Women's Sports College Lohaghat in eight major cities of the state.

The Chief Minister said that under the sports policy, the state government is running schemes like out of turn government jobs, sports allowance, and Uttarakhand Khel Ratna and Himalaya Khel Ratna awards to medal winning players. Four per cent sports quota has been implemented for players in state services. Incentive amount is being transferred through DBT to 3900 players under the Chief Minister's Udyaman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana and 2155 players under the Chief Minister's Incentive Scheme.

Sports Minister Rekha Arya said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, many provisions have been made in the new sports policy, keeping in mind the facilities of the players. Sports infrastructure has developed rapidly in the state. Uttarakhand got the opportunity to host the 38th National Games, in which the players of Uttarakhand had a commendable performance. (ANI)