Patna: During the Sepaktakraw doubles match between host Bihar and Nagaland, a large number of young children were present at the indoor stadium located in the Bihar Armed Police Force camp. They were immersed in the excitement of the ever-changing scores, enjoying the match and enthusiastically cheering for the players with loud applause. These children, cheering for their team, were awestruck by the grandeur of the Khelo India Youth Games being hosted in Bihar for the first time, and seeing children of their own age on the court, they too expressed a desire to take up sports as a career.
Similarly, during the boxing matches that began on Saturday at the Digha Railway Sports Complex, many children of various age groups came to enjoy the matches. A day earlier, during the volleyball finals at the Patliputra Sports Complex, several children interested in volleyball and other sports were seen in the stands. All were seen thoroughly enjoying the games, and a passion was visible in them to take their favorite sport seriously and pursue it as a career.
Here, the objective of the Bihar government seems to be succeeding, under which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had expressed the desire to host the Khelo India Youth Games. One of the key intentions behind hosting these games was to inspire thousands of youth to take up sports as a career.
Ravindran Shankaran, Director General and CEO of the Bihar State Sports Authority, said, “Our Chief Minister wanted that through the Khelo India Youth Games, youth should be inspired to come into sports. For us, more than winning medals or becoming champions, it is important to showcase the grandeur of these games to the youth, so that in the coming time, a sporting culture can develop here.”
At the Railway Sports Complex, 10-year-old Vasudha Singh was enjoying every match with her grandfather. Vasudha, a student of Kendriya Vidyalaya-2 on Bailey Road, Patna, is interested in badminton. Recently, she won a silver medal in the doubles event at the Kendriya Vidyalaya Divisional Games. Although Vasudha regrets not being able to watch the badminton matches, as they are being held in Bhagalpur, she decided to watch boxing instead.
Vasudha said, “I regret not being able to watch my sport, but seeing these boxing matches makes me realize how wonderfully these games are being organized and how passionate the players are to prove themselves. I play badminton and dream of making a career in it. I also want to play for my state in the Khelo India Youth Games and other events one day.”
Bihar delivered a stellar performance in Sepaktakraw, winning the overall champion title. Bhavya, Navya, and Nivedita, who came with their grandmother to cheer for Bihar, enjoyed every moment. Bhavya’s grandmother shared that she likes athletics and runs regularly, while Navya prefers cricket.
Bhavya’s grandmother said, “For a long time, the girls had been insisting on watching sports. Since athletics hasn’t started yet, I brought them here as the venue is close to our home. I’ll also take them to athletics. These girls want to enter sports, and after witnessing the grandeur of the Khelo India Youth Games, they have now decided to make sports their career.”
Bihar has done an excellent job as host and left no stone unturned to make the Khelo India Youth Games a success. The selection of venues has also been thoughtful. Gyan Bhawan, located near Gandhi Maidan, was chosen for events like judo and wrestling, making it easily accessible. During the judo matches at Gyan Bhawan, a large number of youth could be seen watching their peers shine on the mat.
Mansi, who came from Mumbai to visit relatives, enjoyed the judo matches. The 13-year-old said that seeing children of her age participate in such a grand event is inspiring, and now she too wants to pursue a career in badminton. Mansi said, “I play badminton and live in Mumbai. I hadn’t seen the Khelo India Youth Games before, but seeing my home state organize such a wonderful event makes me proud. Now I also want to make a career in sports and will start thinking about it seriously.”
