Vanakkam Chennai!

The Governor of Tamil Nadu, Shri R. N. Ravi ji, Chief Minister Shri M. K. Stalin ji, my colleagues in the Union Cabinet, Anurag Thakur, L. Murugan and Nisith Pramanik, Minister in the Tamil Nadu government, Udhayanidhi Stalin, and my young friends who have come here from every corner of Bharat.

I welcome everyone to the 13th Khelo India Games. For Indian sports, this is a great way to start 2024. My young friends gathered here represent a Young India, a New India. Your energy and enthusiasm is taking our country to new heights in the world of sports. I extend my best wishes to all the athletes and sport-lovers who have come to Chennai from across the country. Together, you are showcasing the true spirit of Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. The warm people of Tamil Nadu, the beautiful Tamil language, culture and cuisine will surely make you feel at home. I am sure that their hospitality will win your hearts. The Khelo India Youth Games will certainly provide you with an opportunity to showcase your skills. But it will also help you make new friendships that will last a lifetime.

Friends,

Today, the inauguration and foundation laying of several projects of Doordarshan and All India Radio have also taken place here. The Chennai Doordarshan Kendra, which began broadcasting in 1975, is embarking on a new journey from today. The DD Tamil channel has also been launched in a new avatar. The commencement of 12 new FM transmitters in 8 states will benefit nearly 1.5 crore people. Today, the foundation stone for 26 new FM transmitter projects has also been laid. I extend my congratulations to the people of Tamil Nadu and the entire country for this achievement.

Friends,

Tamil Nadu holds a special place in the development of sports in Bharat. It is a land that produces champions. This land gave birth to the Amritraj brothers who made a mark in tennis. From this soil emerged the captain of the hockey team, Bhaskaran, under whose leadership Bharat won a gold medal in the Olympics. Chess players like Viswanathan Anand, Praggnanandhaa, and Paralympic champion Mariyappan are also the gifts of Tamil Nadu. Many such athletes have emerged from this land, excelling in every sport. I believe that all of you will find even more inspiration from the land of Tamil Nadu.

Friends,

We all want to see Bharat among the top sporting nations in the world. For this, it is crucial to have consistent large-scale sports events in the country, enhance the experience of athletes, and select players from the grassroots level to participate in major events. The Khelo India Abhiyan is playing this very role today. Since 2018, 12 editions of the Khelo India Games have been organized. The India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games, Khelo India Winter Games, and Khelo India Para Games are providing opportunities for playing and bringing new talents to the forefront. Once again, the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games is taking place. The splendid cities of Chennai, Trichy, Madurai, and Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu are ready to welcome champions.

Friends,

I am confident that whether you are an athlete or a spectator, the enchantment of the beautiful beaches of Chennai will draw everyone towards them. You will feel the divine aura of the unique temples in Madurai. The temples in Trichy and the art and craft there will captivate your mind. And the hardworking entrepreneurs in Coimbatore will warmly welcome you with open hearts. You will experience a divine feeling in all these cities of Tamil Nadu that you will never want to forget.

Friends,

Athletes from 36 states will showcase their talent and dedication during the Khelo India Youth Games. I can imagine the atmosphere when more than 5,000 young athletes will step onto the field with their passion and enthusiasm. We look forward to the competitions in sports like archery, athletics, and badminton that will bring us joy. We await the energy in squash, included for the first time in the Khelo India Youth Games. We anticipate the prowess of Silambam, a sport that will elevate Tamil Nadu's ancient glory and heritage. Players from different states and different sports will unite with a common resolve, commitment, and spirit. Your dedication to sports, your confidence in yourselves, the courage to face challenges, and the determination for extraordinary performances will be witnessed by the entire nation.

Friends,

Tamil Nadu is the sacred land of the great saint Thiruvalluvar. Saint Thiruvalluvar provided a new direction for the youth and inspired them to move forward through his writings. The logo of the Khelo India Youth Games also features the image of the great Thiruvalluvar. Saint Thiruvalluvar wrote, ‘Arumai Udaiththathu Enndru Asavamai Vendum, Perumai Muyarchi Tharum Parthathu’ meaning we should not weaken even in adverse situations, we should not run away from difficulties. We should strengthen our minds and achieve our goals. This is a great inspiration for an athlete. I am pleased that this time, the mascot of the Khelo India Youth Games is Veera Mangai Velu Nachiyar. Choosing a real-life personality as a mascot is unprecedented. Veera Mangai Velu Nachiyar is a symbol of female power. Her personality is reflected in many government decisions today. Her inspiration has led the government to work continuously towards empowering women in sports. Under the Khelo India campaign, women leagues have been organized in 20 sports. More than 50,000 female athletes participated in this initiative. The 'Dus Ka Dum' initiative also provided an opportunity to over 1 lakh female athletes to showcase their talent.

Friends,

A lot of people are surprised at how suddenly our athletes' performance has improved so much since 2014. You have witnessed that Bharat has delivered its best performance so far in the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games. Bharat has also created history in the Asian Games and Asian Para Games. The country has set a new record of medals in the University Games as well. This transformation didn't happen overnight. The hard work and dedication of the athletes were always there. However, in the last 10 years, they have gained new self-confidence, and the government's support has been consistent at every step. In the past, the state of sports was different, and we have shut down those kinds of games. In the last 10 years, the government initiated reforms, the athletes performed exceptionally well, and the entire sports system transformed. Today, thousands of athletes in the country receive financial assistance of more than 50,000 rupees every month through the Khelo India campaign. In 2014, we launched the TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), ensuring the training, international exposure, and participation of top athletes in major sports events. Now our focus is on the Paris Olympics in 2024 and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028. Every possible assistance is being provided to athletes under TOPS.

Friends

Today, we are not waiting for youth to come to sports; we are taking sports to youth!

Friends,

Campaigns like Khelo India are turning dreams into reality for youth from rural, tribal, and lower-middle-class families. When we talk about 'Vocal for Local' today, it includes sporting talent as well. Today, we are providing better facilities and organizing good competitions at the local level for athletes. This gives them international exposure. In the past 10 years, we have hosted numerous international tournaments for the first time in Bharat. Imagine, we have such a vast coastline and so many beaches in the country. But now, for the first time, we have organized beach games on the islands. These games included traditional Indian sports like Mallakhamb along with 8 other sports. Around 1600 athletes from across the country competed in these games. This has opened a new chapter for beach games and sports tourism in Bharat, bringing many benefits to our coastal cities.

Friends,

We are committed to providing our young athletes with international exposure and making Bharat an important centre in the global sports ecosystem. Therefore, we are working diligently to host the Youth Olympics in 2029 and the Olympic Games in 2036 in Bharat. As you all know, sports are not confined to the field alone. Sports, in itself, is a significant economy, offering numerous employment opportunities for the youth. I have given a guarantee to make Bharat the world's third-largest economy in the next 5 years. This guarantee includes an increase in the participation of sports in the economy, and we are making efforts towards that. Therefore, we have also been developing sectors associated with sports over the past 10 years.

Today, there is a strong emphasis on skill development to train professionals in sports-related fields. On the other hand, we are developing an ecosystem related to sports equipment manufacturing and services. We are providing a platform to professionals involved in sports science, innovation, manufacturing, sports coaching, sports psychology, and sports nutrition. Not so long ago, the country got its first National Sports University. Through the Khelo India campaign, we now have over 300 prestigious academies, more than a thousand Khelo India Centres, and over 30 Centres of Excellence across the country. In the new National Education Policy, sports have been integrated into the main curriculum, creating awareness about choosing sports as a career from childhood itself.

Friends,

According to estimates, Bharat’s sports industry will be close to one lakh crore rupees in the next few years. This will directly benefit our young compatriots. The increased awareness about sports in recent years has led to rapid growth in businesses such as broadcasting, sports goods, sports tourism, and sports apparel. Our endeavour is to make Bharat self-reliant in sports equipment manufacturing. Currently, we are manufacturing 300 types of sports equipment. We aim to create manufacturing clusters associated with this industry in different parts of the country.

Friends,

Under the Khelo India campaign, the sports infrastructure being developed across the country is becoming a significant source of employment. Various sports leagues associated with different sports are also growing rapidly, creating hundreds of new job opportunities. This means that today's youth in schools and colleges, who aspire to build a career in sports-related sectors, are guaranteed a better future. This is also Modi’s guarantee.

Friends,

Today, Bharat is excelling not just in sports but in every sector. The new Bharat is demolishing old records, making new achievements, and creating new milestones. I believe in the strength of our youth, in their eagerness to win. I have confidence in your unwavering determination and mental strength. There is the capability to set ambitious goals and achieve them in today's Bharat. No record is too big for us to break. This year, we will create new records, draw new lines for ourselves, and leave an indelible mark on the world. You have to move forward, as Bharat will advance with you. Join hands, win for yourself, and win for the country. Once again, my best wishes to all athletes.

Thanks.

I declare Khelo India Youth Games 2023 open.

DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.

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DS/VK/AK