
"Govt is committed to develop Uttarakhand as Khel Bhumi": Uttarakhand CM Dhami
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], June 23 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Monday participated in the program organised at Parade Ground in Dehradun on the occasion of International Olympic Day.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister also honoured the players who won medals at the international and national levels and also administered the oath of sportsmanship to the players.
He said that this day is dedicated to the values of sportsmanship, unity and peace. Olympics are not just a competition, but a symbol of dedication, sadhana and national pride.
Chief Minister Dhami said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, extensive work has been done to promote sports in the country. India is now emerging as a winner, not just a participant in sports. In the 2023 Asian Games, India performed best with 107 medals, while 126 players from India qualified for the Olympics 2020, which shows the strength of the sports ecosystem in the country.
He further said that the state government is committed to develop Uttarakhand as 'Khel Bhumi'. In the recently held 38th National Games, the players of Uttarakhand made the state proud by winning 103 medals. He added that work is being done rapidly towards the establishment of 23 sports academies, Sports University Haldwani and Women's Sports College Lohaghat in eight major cities of the state.
The Chief Minister said that under the sports policy, the state government is running schemes like out of turn government jobs, sports allowance, and Uttarakhand Khel Ratna and Himalaya Khel Ratna awards to medal winning players. Four per cent sports quota has been implemented for players in state services. Incentive amount is being transferred through DBT to 3900 players under the Chief Minister's Udyaman Khiladi Unnayan Yojana and 2155 players under the Chief Minister's Incentive Scheme.
Sports Minister Rekha Arya said that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, many provisions have been made in the new sports policy, keeping in mind the facilities of the players. Sports infrastructure has developed rapidly in the state. Uttarakhand got the opportunity to host the 38th National Games, in which the players of Uttarakhand had a commendable performance. (ANI)
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Cardinals hit 4 home runs in 8-2 win over Cubs
Jun 24, 2025 07:52 AM IST ST. LOUIS — Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan each hit two-run homers in the fifth inning, Matthew Liberatore pitched seven strong innings, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs 8-2 on Monday night. HT Image Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman also homered as the Cardinals hit a season-best four home runs for the first time since April 30 at Cincinnati. Liberatore allowed two runs on six hits and struck out five for the Cardinals, who have won six of their last seven games. Ben Brown allowed eight runs on nine hits in five innings for the Cubs, who have lost four of their last five. Michael Fulmer tossed two scoreless innings in relief of Brown after having his contract purchased from Triple-A Iowa prior to the game. Donovan lined his fifth homer of the season in the bottom of the fifth inning, and Burleson followed with his ninth two batters later to give St. Louis a 6-1 lead. Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled to leadoff the fifth inning and scored on a single from Carson Kelly to cut the St. Louis lead to 2-1. Nootbaar hit his 10th home run of the season after Willson Contreras' two-out double to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Liberatore walked Matt Shaw with one out to load the bases for Ian Happ in the fifth inning. Happ grounded the first pitch he saw to Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado to start an inning-ending double play. Contreras had three hits against his former team, and is now 22 for 63 with six doubles and a homer against the Cubs since signing with St. Louis as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon is scheduled to face Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy who will be recalled from Triple-A Memphis. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text. Stay updated with the latest sports news, including latest headlines and updates from the Olympics 2024, where Indian athletes will compete for glory in Paris. Catch all the action from tennis Grand Slam tournaments, follow your favourite football teams and players with the latest match results, and get the latest on international hockey tournaments and series.


Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
PM endorses India to win 36 medals at 2036 Olympics
Karnal: 'We aim for 36 medals in the 2036 Olympics, and we will work hard to win even more than that,' president of the Haryana Olympic Association Meenu Beniwal expresses his confidence at an event in Haryana. Speaking at a special event organised in Karnal on the occasion of International Olympic Day on Monday, Beniwal said India would win their highest-ever medal tally at the 2036 Olympics. Beniwal said both Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who confirmed India wants to host the 2036 edition of the Games, and Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini have endorsed this vision. He further mentioned that a new Olympic association has been recently formed, and its early progress looks promising. 'After many years, the Olympic Day is being celebrated. This is a new start for the whole of Haryana, and I hope it creates a nice environment. This is the beginning of our attempts to create and nurture more athletes. We are creating more excellent centres at different locations in all sports. We will announce the details soon. " International Olympic Day is celebrated on Monday, and there was palpable enthusiasm among athletes. India's performance in the Olympics has significantly improved over time, and Haryana has played a vital role in this growth. Athletes from Haryana have consistently delivered strong performances. 'After many years, Olympic Day is being celebrated properly, and it's sending out a very positive message. Continuous efforts are being made to increase Haryana's medal tally. We're building more training centres for various sports and working on improving facilities for athletes. Today, programmes are being held in Hisar, Jind, and other regions as well,' he added. When asked about political interference in sports, Beniwal said, 'Many athletes don't want to go through trials and prefer direct selection, but that will no longer be allowed. Transparency will be ensured in the selection process. We will keep politics out of sports. Haryana has the highest availability of raw sports talent in India—around 55% of children ready to compete are from our villages. We're working to provide them all with the necessary support and facilities.' In Karnal, the Olympic Day was celebrated with participation from rowing athletes across Haryana. Karnal remains the only hub in the state where athletes gather for focused rowing practice. These athletes showcased their strength and preparedness for national and international competitions. Rowing features both team and solo events, and several athletes have shown the potential to win medals on their own. 'This was a fantastic event, probably the largest programme ever held for International Olympic Day. It will give a great boost and support to both junior and senior athletes. Our sport will receive much-needed encouragement. Water sports, especially rowing, offer massive medal opportunities—up to 15 Olympic medals are available in rowing. The training atmosphere in Karnal is excellent, though athletes still need to travel far to get quality practice,' Ravindra, a rowing athlete, said.


India Gazette
5 hours ago
- India Gazette
KL admits being hurt by his Test batting average, explains recent mindset shift following Leeds masterclass
Leeds [UK], June 24 (ANI): Following his brilliant century at Leeds, Indian wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul spoke on his mindset shift in international cricket over the last few months, saying that now he is in a space of enjoying hitting balls instead of being in 'quality of over quantity mindset.' KL continued his masterful run in South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia (SENA) conditions, slamming his third century in England and his sixth in SENA countries. His century and 195-run stand with Rishabh Pant increased India's second innings lead to 370 runs, setting a 371-run target for the hosts to win. Speaking after the match, as quoted by Sky Sports, KL said that earlier, he was not able to convert his starts to big scores. But now, he is not chasing numbers anymore and feels much calmer in his head. 'I am just getting runs now. There was a time when I was just getting starts, but not converting those to big scores in Tests especially. This stage of cricket I am at, journey I am at, a lot has changed. I am much calmer in my head and not chasing numbers. I am just enjoying my cricket as much as I can,' he said. Rahul credited former assistant coach Abhishek Nayar for his collaborative effort during the last 15-18 months with him on his batting. 'I have worked a lot with him, spent a lot of time with him in 15-18 months. I have gone back to basics, doing time. There was a time when I was in a quality over quantity mindset in international cricket and did not hit enough balls. Now I am back to enjoying hitting a lot of balls in the nets,' he added. It has been a nice few months this year for KL Rahul, who has aced a variety of roles across all formats. For India, he primarily played a role of a rock-solid number five in ODIs leading up to the 2023 Cricket World Cup and during the marquee tournament, he racked up 452 runs in 11 matches, with a century and two fifties. He also smashed a 62-ball ton against Netherlands, India's fastest in WC history. However, after the World Cup, he took a predominantly number six finisher role, contributing useful knocks. During the ICC Champions Trophy win for India, he aced the role to perfection, scoring 140 in four innings at an average of 140.00 and a strike rate of 97.90. During semifinals and finals against Australia and New Zealand, he produced solid knocks of 42* and 34*. Then, during the Indian Premier League (IPL), he scored 539 runs in 13 innings at an average of 53.90, with a strike rate of 149.72, his best since the 2018 season, when it was over 158. Playing as an opener and at number three and four as well, KL contributed a century and three fifties. He finished as the ninth-highest run-getter in the tournament, representing Delhi Capitals (DC). Since the Test tour of Australia last year, KL has shifted back to his usual opening spot in Tests, delivering some solid returns. Since then, he has played five Tests as an opener, scoring 431 runs in 10 innings at an average of 47.88, with a century and two fifties. While he has had some success as a middle-order bat, he has been at his best as an opener, with 2,982 runs in 49 Tests and 85 innings at an average of 36.36, with eight tons and 14 fifties. KL also admitted that he does feel 'hurt a lot' on looking at his batting average of 34.70, but he is not in a space of looking at numbers anymore. In 59 Tests, he has scored 3,436 runs with nine centuries and 17 fifties in 103 innings and his best score of 199. Despite possessing an extremely sound technique and a wide array of shots, the batter has come under fire for his puzzling inconsistency. However, his seven overseas centuries out of nine speak volumes about his ability to perform in a variety of conditions. 'I do not look at numbers, but I want to make an impact whenever and wherever I am given a chance. I want to enjoy my cricket. I enjoy playing Test cricket. That is what I loved growing up, and I have got the opportunity to do so for India,' he added. Speaking on how the Test is shaping up to be on the final day for defending 371 runs, KL said that it looks 'blockbuster'. He also expects cracks to open up on the final day on the pitch. 'I think it is a perfect day-five wicket for us to bowl on. It is a blockbuster for us. 'When the Test match started, I felt like it was a good batting wicket and it would be a draw, but there has been some good wear and tear, so we are hoping tomorrow the cracks open up and hopefully it will be an interesting match,' he said. KL also admitted that the wicket was not as easy to bat on like the first innings and it gives India a chance to be in the game. 'It has been up and down for us, and the wicket has been playing tricks,' he concluded. Coming to the ongoing Leeds Test, in pursuit of a 371-run target, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett ensured England walked out of day four unscathed to set up the final day of the opening Test perfectly against India at Headingley. England ended Day 4 with 21/0 in six overs, with the opening pair Crawley and Duckett unbeaten with scores of 12(25) and 9(11), respectively. Crawley and Duckett ensured England walked out unscathed, setting up an enthralling final day of the series opener, leaving them 350 runs shy of victory. In reply to 371, Crawley and Duckett focused on preserving their wicket and didn't engage in a shot that threatened a wicket loss. Crawley creamed Mohammed Siraj for back-to-back boundaries, which allowed England to finish on a high and stay in the race towards a remarkable victory. Before England came out to bat in the final session, India's long-standing Achilles heel was again exposed by England's pace attack, which was bereft of experience. From 349/6 to 364, the tourists' bottom end was cleaned up in five overs. The collapse began with Brydon Carse rattling the timber to send KL Rahul back to the dressing room on 137(247). The Headingley crowd stood on its feet and applauded Rahul's masterclass. In the next over, Karun Nair dispatched the ball back to Chris Woakes's hands, marking the opening of the floodgates. Josh Tongue punched Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Siraj's return ticket on successive deliveries. Jasprit Bumrah denied Tongue a hat-trick, but the 27-year-old had the last laugh and rattled timber on the next delivery. Ravindra Jadeja waited for the opportunity and embraced it in the 95th over. He heaved the ball powerfully past the leg-side boundary rope for a maximum. He pulled the ball away on the next delivery and creamed Tongue for a four to add valuable runs. India's last resistance eventually gave in after Prasidh Krishna, responsible for holding one end, gave in to his attacking instincts and tried to take on England's sole frontline spinner, Shoaib Bashir. He swiped the ball across the line but failed to get the desired distance. Tongue sprinted and got hold of the ball to conclude India's innings on 364. The batting calamity of India resonated in the difference between the top five batters and the bottom six. India's first half was the prime weapon with the bat and accumulated 721 runs, courtesy of five centuries. At the same time, the rest could only muster 65 runs and added to India's agony. Before an enthralling final session, at Tea, India were 298/4, with KL Rahul (120*) and Karun Nair (4*) unbeaten. Pant scored 118 runs in the second innings, his second ton in the match, and consolidated the innings with a crucial 195-run partnership with KL Rahul. India started the second session at 153/3, with Pant (31*) and KL (72*) unbeaten. The duo launched a brilliant counter-attack against English bowling, taking them to their respective centuries, with Pant dismissed for 118 in 140 balls, with 15 fours and three sixes. India ended the first session at 153/3, with vice-captain Rishabh Pant (31*) and KL Rahul (72*) unbeaten. Despite Carse striking early, removing Shubman for just eight and sinking India to 92/3, Team India managed to give themselves a solid platform to go all guns out blazing for the remainder of the match, but not without giving England some chances. The final session on day three was cut short due to rain. Rahul was joined by skipper Shubman Gill, who was unbeaten on 6*. India ended at 90/2. Brief Scores: India: 471 and 364 (KL Rahul 137, Rishabh Pant 118, Brydon Carse 2/62) vs England 21/0 (Zak Crawley 12*, Ben Duckett 9*). (ANI)