New Delhi: Newly appointed Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju on Monday promised to “bring a change” that would spark a “sporting revolution” in the country.
“Everyone knows cricket jargon like googly. But generally, people are not aware of the technical aspects of most sports. And interest will not be generated unless we go into the technicalities of games,” said Rijiju while on a visit to Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here.
Rijiju said that creating awareness about Olympic sports was paramount to helping India grow in the field. “I am very particular about meeting the needs of the players. If they are supported, they won’t have to worry about anything but working hard,” said Rijiju.
He also said that the government won’t meddle with the autonomy of federations for individual sports in the country. “There has to be good coordination between the federation and the government bodies so that the needs of the players and the coaches are handled properly.
Rijiju also called for unity within and between federations. “I want to tell all the sports federations of the country that we are a team. There should be no divisions or factions; we must sit on the same table because we are all Team India,” he said.
“We will ensure that in the next three Olympics, we will make a tremendous improvement,” said the Sports Minister. “I am very satisfied with whatever I have seen today, now it is about the results. We are planting the trees, now it is for them to bear fruits.”
