Minister for Youth Empowerment, Sports, and Tribal Welfare B. Nagendra has said that the One District One Sport policy will be implemented in the State to encourage and support region-specific sports.
“Each district in the State has nurtured a unique sport. Belagavi, for example, has cultivated traditional wrestling and Vijayapura has promoted cycling. We have planned to encourage local sports under the tagline, One District One Sport. It will be helpful for focused attention on a particular sport and sports personalities interested in that specific sport. It will also help us identify brilliant talent in a particular sport and encourage them to grow to become competent enough to participate in national and international events,” Mr. Nagendra said.
He was addressing media representatives after completing the review meeting of his departments in Bidar on Wednesday.
Pointing to the reservation facilities available for sport personalities belonging to only two departments, Mr. Nagendra said that his government will take steps to extend these facilities to all 30 departments.
“There is a scarcity of trainers in all districts. We are planning to address this issue by taking the services of physical teachers. We have already got approval for appointing 172 trainers. It is a temporary measure and we will come up with proper and permanent measures shortly,” Mr. Nagendra said and added that his department will build a stadium of international standard in Ballari.
To a question on the alleged attempts being made by the Opposition to topple the Siddaramaiah government, the Minister exuded the confidence over the stability of the government by stating that all the elected representatives of the Congress are united and no attempt to destabilise the government will be successful.
“Our government is doing everything to meet its promises and uplift the poor from poverty. The Opposition parties are not able to tolerate the speed of delivery of our government’s pro-people programmes. It is their desperation that has forced them to get united and try to hatch a conspiracy to topple the government. Their efforts are bound to fail,” the Minister said.