Chief Minister Inaugurates MP Sports Festival in Almora

Announces Multi-Purpose Artificial Turf, 200 Solar Lights and Sports Hostel

Almora: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday inaugurated the MP Sports Festival in Almora. On the occasion, he formally opened the football and badminton competitions and honoured international cricketer Ekta Bisht along with sports coaches for their outstanding contributions.

Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister announced several key initiatives aimed at promoting sports talent in the district. He said that a multi-purpose artificial turf ground for hockey and football, suitable for both day and night play, will be constructed at the GIC Ground. To strengthen urban lighting and promote clean and green energy, 200 solar lights will be installed in the Municipal Corporation area. A 50-bed sports hostel will be built at the Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Stadium, and the existing badminton court there will be redeveloped in accordance with international standards.

The Chief Minister stated that India’s youth power is the nation’s greatest asset, capable of realizing the dream of a strong, prosperous and self-reliant India through hard work, talent and determination. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, youth power is being treated as national power, and continuous efforts are being made towards building a developed and self-reliant India. Organised on the theme “Fit Youth for Developed India,” the MP Sports Festival is not merely a sports competition but a major movement to promote sports culture across the country. It provides a strong platform to identify and nurture hidden sporting talent from villages and help them reach national and international levels, while instilling discipline, confidence, team spirit and perseverance among the youth.

He further said that through initiatives like Khelo India and the Fit India Movement, the Prime Minister is continuously encouraging a vibrant sports culture in the country. With the grand and successful hosting of the 38th National Games, Uttarakhand has established itself not only as “Devbhoomi” but also as a “Sports Hub.” Athletes from the state created history by winning 103 medals at the National Games. Uttarakhand is now counted among the leading states in terms of world-class sports infrastructure and has also begun hosting national and international sporting events.

The Chief Minister informed that the state government will soon implement a Sports Legacy Plan, under which 23 sports academies will be established in eight major cities of the state. Work is progressing rapidly towards setting up Uttarakhand’s first Sports University in Haldwani and a Women’s Sports College in Lohaghat. A new sports policy has also been implemented to promote overall sports development, under which medal-winning athletes at national and international levels are being provided out-of-turn government jobs. Several schemes, including the Chief Minister Sports Development Fund, Chief Minister Player Incentive Scheme, Chief Minister Emerging Player Scheme and Sports Kit Scheme, are being run to continuously encourage young and emerging athletes.

Speaking about the overall development of Almora, the Chief Minister said that several important projects are underway to strengthen tourism, employment and connectivity. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, more than 250 kilometres of roads have been constructed in Almora district over the past four years. Road construction and upgradation projects worth several crores have also been completed. A road connecting Almora–Pauri Garhwal–Rudraprayag, built at a cost of around ₹400 crore, has been completed, while the widening of the Almora–Bageshwar road has been approved at a cost of about ₹922 crore. Under the Udaan Scheme, helicopter services have been started to promote tourism and improve connectivity. A heliport is being constructed at Phalsima, which will further enhance air connectivity in the region. To strengthen drinking water supply, a reservoir project on the Gagas River is underway at a cost of ₹31.27 crore. In the health sector, 100 new MBBS seats have been added at Soban Singh Jeena Medical Institute, along with the addition of 36 ICU beds, which will significantly improve medical facilities in the future.

On the occasion, Member of Parliament and Union Minister of State Ajay Tamta, Mayor Ajay Verma, Jageshwar MLA Mohan Singh Mehra, Vice-Chairperson of the Women Entrepreneurship Council Ganga Bisht, District Panchayat President Hema Gaida, MLA Kailash Sharma, former MLA Raghunath Singh Chauhan, BJP District President Mahesh Nayal, and several other public representatives were present.