Fadnavis says Khelo India has taken sport to villages as youth national basketball ends in Pune

The 41st Youth National Basketball Championship (Chief Minister's Cup) concluded at the Shri Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex in Mhalunge-Balewadi, Pune. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a major change was under way in the country's sports sector. According to him, Khelo India had taken sport to every village, and this was giving players from rural areas a chance to prove their ability at the national and international levels.

MLA Vikrant Patil, MLA Shankar Jagtap, Municipal Commissioner Naval Kishore Ram, Sports Commissioner Deepak Sangla, Basketball Federation of India secretary Subinder Singh Gill and Maharashtra State Basketball Association president Sandeep Joshi were among those present at the closing ceremony.

Mr Fadnavis said the Balewadi sports complex was playing an important role in Maharashtra's sporting environment. Maharashtra's players were consistently performing well and winning medals in Khelo India competitions. Through Mission Lakshyavedh, the state government had started centres offering the best training for various sports. Basketball was a popular game in Maharashtra and the state had given the country many good players. National competitions of this kind gave players experience and the chance to play at the national level. He praised the Maharashtra Basketball Association for organising the tournament splendidly.

Referring to Indian players' performance at the Asian Games, the chief minister said India won 48 medals this time. Notably, players from 17 states won medals. In sports such as kabaddi, shooting and archery, players from ordinary families had fought difficult circumstances to succeed. According to him, what matters is not a player's circumstances but their determination, hard work and devotion to the sport.

The chief minister congratulated all the winning and participating teams. He said the Maharashtra team could not reach the final this time, but there was no need to be disheartened. Winning and losing were part of sport, and there would be a chance to do better in the next competition. Determination, ambition and sportsmanship were essential, and players who did not stop even after a defeat were the ones who went on to win. He also said the teams from different states showed India's diversity and unity, and that players from south and north India were coming together to raise the honour of the country's sports sector.

Kulvinder Singh Gill said the performance of the state's boys' and girls' teams at the national level was steadily improving through the Maharashtra State Basketball Association. Players were representing the country internationally as well as winning national medals. He expressed hope that the basketball stadium being built in Nagpur through Mr Fadnavis's efforts would host international basketball competitions in future, along with national ones. Sandeep Joshi gave the introductory address.

At the prize distribution ceremony, winning players in the individual and team categories were honoured. In the girls' section, Tamil Nadu won the title and the Karnataka team were runners-up. In the boys' section, Uttar Pradesh became champions and the Madhya Pradesh team were runners-up. Yashdeep Bhoge of Maharashtra, who won a silver medal in archery at the Asian Games in Japan, was also felicitated by Mr Fadnavis.