The newly-appointed sports minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore on Sunday said “best of the opportunities” will be provided to all sportspersons in their endeavour to make India a strong sporting nation.
The 47-year-old Athens Olympics silver medallist was made the sports minister in place of Vijay Goel in a major reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Rathore said the focus will be on winning medals at all levels.
“Win medals at all levels – village level or at the Olympic level. Sports is a state subject so we will work together with the state departments to provide, like I said, best of the opportunities for the sportspersons,” Rathore told reporters.
The former world championship silver medallist added, “The most important thing is that the sportsman only has one challenge and that is to overcome adversaries, and enhance the level of their sports.
“Also the youth, not just in sports, but also in their personality development because that’s the essence of the youth ministry.”
After taking premature retirement from the Indian Army, Rathore joined the Bharatiya Janata Party in 2013 and was sworn in as minister of state for information & broadcasting when the Modi government came to power in May, 2014.
When asked about the new education policy, he said, “The point is that education just doesn’t happen in schools and colleges. The education for life happens in sports grounds and that’s where we come in.
“The sports ministry and the states will provide the right opportunities for our youth, the future of this country, to make themselves physically and mentally more stronger,” said Rathore.
Government alone can’t promote sports culture: Goel
Meanwhile, outgoing sports minister Vijay Goel, who took office in July 2016, listed his achievements but said a lot needs to be done.
“We want a sports culture to develop in this country. But the government alone can’t do it. The parents at homes and teachers at schools need to encourage children to play games. The Prime Minister is a sports lover and I would request him to do more for sports,” he said.
Goel said the ministry under his charge had made some strides forward in making sports administration effective in the country.
“See, we involved every stakeholder. We made considerable progress in preparing the (pending) Code (Sports). It’s with the High Court now and we should soon see its implementation.
“We formed an Olympic Task Force which had some of the best sportspersons. Its recommendations are great and should help take the sport forward. The National Talent Search Portal is also a good initiative by the ministry,” he said.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my term. It is the PM’s prerogative if he wants me to move somewhere else,” Goel said when specifically asked if he was happy or surprised by the change of portfolio.