Himachal Minister Inaugurates Under-14 Sports Meet With Players From All 12 Districts

The 41st State-Level Under-14 School Sports Competition was inaugurated at PM Shri Government Senior Secondary School in Bilaspur by Himachal Pradesh Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani. The three-day competition is being attended by players from all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh.

Competitions are being held in six sports, including basketball, football, chess, taekwondo, badminton and athletics. Young players from across the state are taking part and will showcase their sporting talent, discipline and competitive skills during the event.

Minister Rajesh Dharmani congratulated the players and said that sports play an important role in the overall development of students. He said sports help children develop discipline, confidence, leadership ability and team spirit. They also build the ability to perform better in difficult situations.

He said the state government was committed to providing better opportunities and facilities to young people so that they could progress in sports along with their education. According to the minister, state-level competitions provide players from rural and remote areas with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.

Rajesh Dharmani said such competitions also help create a path for talented players to represent Himachal Pradesh at the national and international levels. He said these players could bring recognition to the state through their performances in future competitions.

The minister said the state government was providing financial assistance and other facilities to encourage players at different levels. Players who go on to participate in under-19 competitions are provided appropriate financial assistance as diet money. The purpose of this support is to ensure that financial difficulties do not affect their sporting talent or preparation.

He also spoke about the travel facilities being provided to players taking part in national-level sports competitions. If players have to travel more than 200 kilometres to participate in a national-level competition, they are provided the facility of air travel. For distances of less than 200 kilometres, rail travel is provided.

Both travel facilities are made available to players free of cost, the minister said. This allows them to participate in competitions without facing an economic burden for travel.

Rajesh Dharmani also said that sports were not limited to the playing field. He said sports were creating several employment and self-employment opportunities for young people. These opportunities include work as coaches, groundsmen, support staff and event managers, along with careers in other support areas connected with sports.

The minister urged young people to look at sports not only as a form of entertainment but also as a means of building a better future and finding career opportunities. The competition in Bilaspur brings together young players from all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh for three days of events across basketball, football, chess, taekwondo, badminton and athletics.