UP athletes’ stand out showing in Asian Games is a tribute to State’s sports policy

As part of the new sports policy, focus is on a range of aspects, from a player’s physical fitness to training. Along with this, various provisions have been made to support the development of new institutions and urging schools, colleges and private academies to promote sports

The recently held Asian Games in the Chinese province of Guangzhou will be a watershed event as far as Indian athletes go. The Indian contingent hit an unprecedented Asiad jackpot with a record haul of 107 medals across disciplines. Some of them had an unparalleled Indian flavour to them for the sheer brilliance with which they pipped the field to enter the pages of Asian Games history. Meanwhile, a closer look at the Indians, who made it to the podium, gives out some amazing statistics. Athletes from Haryana brought home 14 medals in individual events and topped the table. It was not a big surprise considering that Haryana athletes have consistently excelled in major international events, including in Asian Games.

However, it was the exploits of Uttar Pradesh athletes that proved the surprise in the pack. With seven medals, the state athletes propelled Uttar Pradesh to the second position as regards Indian States.

The rise of Uttar Pradesh to a place of eminence owes a lot to the unique manner the Yogi Adityanath government is investing heavily in creating sports infrastructure. It has earned plaudits for its organisational acumen as demonstrated by the successful conduct of Khelo India University Games, Asian Youth Handball Championship, the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship, ITF men championship, Davis Cup and MotoGP fixtures.

Talking about the Asian games, two young girls from Meerut - Parul Chaudhary and Annu Rani -clinched gold in the women's 5,000m race and javelin throw, respectively, way above the expectations. What makes their performances is that the two girls, who are the toast of the nation, were subject to harrowing times with their respective families drawing flak from their village elders. They frowned that girls from their backyard were taking to ‘manly’ disciplines.

Sanjeev Mishra, a well-known Kanpur-based sports writer, says “UP is changing and changing for the better. People are encouraging their daughters to take to sports as career options, which, in itself, is a significant departure from prevalent prejudices. Support and encouragement for the budding talent is coming from the state government, which is going all-out to put in place the best of sports infrastructure.”

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath took to the social media platform X to write, “Congratulations, Anu Rani, on your outstanding gold throw. Your throw of 62.92 meters was brilliant, showcasing your talent and strong determination. Your achievements inspire us all. Jai Hind (sic).” “Congratulations to Parul Chaudhary for winning a splendid gold medal in the women’s 5000 meters at the Asian Games. Your excellent performance with a time of 15:14.75 has brought great pride to the country. My best wishes for your future endeavours (sic).”

With her exploits, Annu Rani has changed the timid mindset of the people belonging to this part of the country. Growing up, she faced stiff resistance from relatives and the villagers. It wasn’t easy when she decided to take up javelin. People’s reactions were incredulous as she was entering a male domain.

Rani was introduced to athletics by her brother Upendra Singh in 2009. Her sports instructor/mentor noticed that she had huge potential in javelin and encouraged her to make the switch. She didn’t leave any stone unturned to prove her coach right. She was so obsessed that when she was not in the stadium, she would practice with sugarcane stalks in her family farm, despite the constant ridicule from the villagers. It was a similar story with Parul Chaudhary.

Meanwhile, one ought to give credit to the state administration, which is rewarding all its champion sportspersons. On top of the charts is Uttar Pradesh Police, which has recruited a record 579 athletes, across positions.

There have been financial incentives for the achievers. An Olympic gold medal winner from the State gets Rs. six crore, while a silver winner takes home Rs. four crore and the bronze medallist gets Rs. two crore. Team event gold, silver and bronze medal winners receive Rs. three crore, Rs. two crore and Rs. one crore, respectively. Individual medal winners in Asian Games are rewarded with Rs. three crore, Rs. 1.5 crore and Rs. 75 lakh, respectively.

More often than not, people tend to overlook the fact that Uttar Pradesh boasts of an amazing sports culture that has seen a phenomenal number of athletes who have brought international laurels to the country. It goes without saying that sport unites and builds communities. Therefore, strengthening the sporting ecosystem is a must for state governments, something which Uttar Pradesh has been going about with purposeful determination.

Says former bureaucrat Navneet Sehgal, “During my tenure as the additional chief secretary of sports, we came up with a vibrantly formidable sports policy. I personally feel that change should come about at the policy level.”

As part of the new sports policy, focus is on a range of aspects, from a player’s physical fitness to training. Along with this, various provisions have been made to support the development of new institutions and urging schools, colleges and private academies to promote sports.

The Uttar Pradesh government is also providing financial assistance to budding athletes. Each registered player will get health insurance cover of up to Rs. five lakh from the state government.

Navneet Sehgal adds, “A good augury has been that the state government is giving equal importance to promotion of sports at the grassroots level and also bolstering infrastructure all over. Construction of mini-stadiums at developmental blocks is currently underway in the first phase.”

Moreover, a stadium is being built in every district, and many programmes, including creation of youth welfare committees in every village panchayat, are being undertaken to inculcate the spirit of sports among youth. To help athletes from less affluent families, the government provides sports kits to 65,000 youth and women welfare committees.

Similarly, the state government has signed MoUs with leading promotes like JSW Sports, Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance and Sporta Technologies , among others, for the sustainable growth of sports in the state.

After the inclusion of e-sports in the new sports policy, Uttar Pradesh has become the first state in the country where youth are being encouraged to take to e-sports.

Giving jobs to athletes has also been a priority for the state government. Needless to say, Uttar Pradesh is setting new benchmarks in promotion of sports, across frontiers.

(The author is Delhi-based senior journalist and writer. He is author of Gandhi's Delhi which has brought to the forth many hidden facts about Mahatma Gandhi)