Karnataka   

Youth sports meet postponed

Chitradurga: Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs Gulihatti Shekhar has said there is a possibility of holding the first National Youth Sports Meet in December or January.

Reacting to reports of postponement of the meet, he told The Hindu that for several reasons, the Government was not in a position to conduct the event in July as decided earlier. Last year, the Government decided to hold the meet from July 22 to July 29 in Bangalore. Mr. Shekhar said it was difficult to hold the meet in July owing to the monsoon. “Besides, the Government will be busy preparing the budget during the month,” he said.

The Minister also said that as the track at the Kanteerava Stadium was not ready, the department required three months to prepare for the event. “With incomplete infrastructure, it will not be a good idea to hold such a prestigious meet. We cannot afford to spoil our reputation by organising the event with poor facilities,” he said.

He said the Government had already set aside Rs. 35 crore for the sports meet, and Rs. 5 crore had already been released.

To a question, he said that in order to encourage sports in rural areas, the Government was considering distribution of sports kits to students in schools and colleges. “In the absence of equipment, many students from rural areas never get the opportunity to exhibit their talent,” he said.

On improving sports infrastructure by constructing stadiums in all taluks, Mr. Shekhar said the Government had released Rs. 100 crore for the prupose. “The Government wishes to develop infrastructure in 12 stadiums in various taluks of the State. The work will be completed within four years,” he added.

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