State level under-14 sports competition begins in Rajgarh, 480 players to participate

The state-level under-14 sports competition began on Thursday at the Vaidya Surat Singh Memorial Government Senior Secondary School, Rajgarh. Teams from 12 districts, along with the Sports Hostel Chaupal, are participating in this three-day competition. Around 480 players, 120 physical education teachers, and other staff are participating. Volleyball, kabaddi, kho-kho, and table tennis competitions are being held.
Nahan MLA Ajay Solanki, who attended as the chief guest, formally inaugurated the competition. He urged the athletes to compete with sportsmanship and bring glory to their region and state. He stated that the state government is prioritizing the promotion of sports and encouraging young talent.
Ajay Solanki said that the state government has decided to provide free air travel to athletes selected for national-level competitions. Furthermore, the players’ diet money has been increased from Rs. 120 to Rs. 250 to ensure they receive better nutrition.
He said that players from Himachal Pradesh have proven their talent at the national and international levels. Renuka Thakur, a player from the state, brought glory to Himachal Pradesh by representing the country in the Cricket World Cup. Four girls from Himachal Pradesh brought glory to the country in Kabaddi at the Asian Games, two of whom were from the Shillai area of ​​Sirmaur district. He said that the state government honored these international players with incentives of one crore rupees each. He also announced that a Kabaddi sports hostel will be opened in Shillai, Sirmaur district, while a hockey sports hostel is already operational in Majra.
The MLA stated that sports play a vital role in the physical, mental, and intellectual development of children. Sports foster qualities such as discipline, dedication, mutual cooperation, goodwill, and leadership. On this occasion, Ajay Solanki announced a donation of 31,000 rupees from his discretionary fund to the competition’s organizing committee. He also announced a donation of 400,000 rupees for improvements to the Rajgarh Stadium and expansion of facilities for athletes.
Earlier, Surendra Sharma, Sports Nodal Officer of the Directorate of Education, provided information regarding the organization of sports activities and competitions in the state. Prem Chand Chauhan, Principal of Rajgarh School, welcomed the chief guest and other guests and shared information about the organization of the competition and the arrangements made for the players.
District Congress President Anand Parmar, State Congress spokesperson Roopendra Thakur, Pachhad Congress Mandal President Sunil Sharma, State Congress media in-charge Dinesh Arya, Vivek Sharma, District Council member Ritu Bala, Nagar Panchayat President Vikram Jaildar, Pradhan Ved Prakash Thakur, Pariksha Chauhan, Asha Prakash, SMC President Dharmendra Verma, Deputy Director of Education Rajiv Thakur, physical teachers from different districts and Congress officials were present in the program.