Nellore: Union minister for urban development M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the government has acquired 150 acres of land spending Rs 5.40 crore to develop a sports village at Mogallapalem near Nellore in a bid to hold 37th National Games in 2019.
The sports village is meant to nurture, groom and support sports talent that would aim to excel on the world stage, he said, while addressing a gathering after inaugurating the national-level competitions, “Khelo India” for kabbadi, kho-kho and wushu at the AC Subba Reddy Sports Compl-ex in Nellore on Thursday.
The Khelo India competitions are being held ac-ross the country in seven states covering different disciplines in January and February. Events like kabbadi, kho-kho and wushu are being held in Nellore. A total of 15 states including Pudicherry are taking part in the events.
He said holding of the games was not only to promote sports at grass-root level but also to help create sports infrastructure across the country. He said the event will provide a platform to budding talents to compete at the national-level. Talent identification would also be done in the process for grooming them to achieve excellence at international-level.
Sports have become a tool of transformation, weaning villagers away from addiction, breaking caste barriers within society, bringing women out of the home and empowering them and reviving the spirit and pride in individuals and the village as a whole. The games foster friendships, unity and a healthy vibrant community, he noted.
Later speaking at the KVIC exhibition in Nellore, the minister said khadi is now being revived and promoted as a fabric that can carve a niche for itself in the world of high-street fashion. It had gained immense popularity among the youth, the minister said.
Mr Naidu was critical of those who raise controversies over the Prime Minister's photo on KVIC calendar and diary considering that the PM was promoting the use of khadi by the people.
Referring to Mahatma Gandhi's quote, "For every minute I spin, there is in me the consciousness that I am adding to the nation's wealth", the minister said rural self-employment and self-reliance were the positive spin offs of the khadi movement.
Mr Naidu said that development of rural arts and crafts which suffered a decline during the past decades of economic development deserves special attention. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched an ambitious project to make khadi a 'zero effect, zero-defect' global product that has an employment generation potential of nearly 80 lakh jobs in 2016-17.
