Haryana CM Saini sets Olympic ambition for youth at National Badminton Tournament

Published on: 13 Sep 2025 at 04:16 PM

Published by: preeti mahajan

The Fact News Service

Panchkula, September 13

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Saturday called upon young athletes to set their sights on winning Olympic medals, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a sporting superpower by the 2036 Games.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the Yonex-Sunrise Ashwani Gupta Memorial All India Sub-Junior Ranking Badminton Tournament in Panchkula, the Chief Minister declared the tournament open and announced financial assistance of ₹11 lakh to the Sports Promotion Society, Panchkula, from his discretionary fund.

Welcoming nearly 2,000 players from across the country, Saini stressed that while victory and defeat are part of the game, true greatness lies in passion and sportsmanship. “Your goal should go beyond the Asian Junior Badminton Tournament—aim for the Olympic podium,” he told the young shuttlers.

Highlighting Haryana’s transformation into a sports hub, the Chief Minister pointed out that athletes from the state have consistently brought glory to India in global arenas.

He recalled that five of India’s six medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics and four of the seven medals at Tokyo 2020 were bagged by Haryana players.

Under the state’s sports vision, launched more than a decade ago with the mantra “Khele Haryana–Badhe Haryana,” world-class infrastructure including stadiums, indoor halls, and residential academies has been developed across districts. Currently, 1,489 sports nurseries are nurturing over 37,000 players aged 8 to 19, providing monthly stipends and professional training.

To secure the future of exceptional talent, Haryana has introduced the ‘Utkrisht Khiladi Seva Niyam, 2021,’ creating 550 new posts in the Sports Department and offering government jobs to 224 international medalists. Reservation benefits have also been extended to sportspersons in direct recruitment.

During the event, Saini also picked up a racket to play badminton himself, describing the sport as a blend of “speed, stamina, strategy, and discipline.”

He credited legends like Prakash Padukone, Pullela Gopichand, Saina Nehwal, P.V. Sindhu, and Lakshya Sen for inspiring a generation of Indians to embrace badminton.

The ceremony was attended by former Haryana Vidhan Sabha Speaker Gian Chand Gupta, senior officials, and representatives of the Badminton Association of India. Gupta noted that the Sports Promotion Society, Panchkula, has been working for 15 years to promote sports and steer youth away from drug abuse, organizing annual competitions and felicitating medal winners.