Sports Minister Anurag Thakur interacts with World U20 Athletics C'ship medalists

New Delhi, Aug 25: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur interacted with Indian Athletes and medal winners of the World U20 Athletics Championships in New Delhi on Wednesday. India won three medals including two silver at the event.

 

 

 

Thakur congratulated the medal winners and said that India’s under 20 Athletics Champions have made the country proud. "It is a big moment for us to cherish", the Minister said. He also expressed confidence that the young athletes will excel in the future international competitions like Asian Games, Commonwealth Games & Olympic Games. "We see a hope in you", Thakur said.

 

 

The Sports Minister applauded the efforts of athletes, the federation and coaches for having shown good performance and won medals inspite of conditions created by Covid-19 pandemic. "Your performance is commendable in the backdrop of Covid-19. These were not easy times, these were not normal times",  Thakur opined. He exhorted the athletes to think big, plan for the future and prepare for the next level of competition.

 

 

 

The Minister, further, emphasized that what is significant is that India has considerable bench strength today, spanning various disciplines in sports and the government is focused on nurturing India's young athletes and handholding them towards a podium finish. The government will ensure all facilities and the best training for the athletes to excel in international competitions, and the TOPS, as well as training of elite athletes, have been taken up towards this end, he explained.

 

 

Appreciating the former athletes for coming up in the field of coaching, the Sports Minister urged more such athletes to come forward to handhold young athletes and motivate them. "We are open to new ideas and suggestions. When we work together, we can build a robust sporting culture as well as the future," the Minister said.