Latest news with #BastarOlympics2024
News18
13 hours ago
- Sport
- News18
Sachin Tendulkar Foundation To Develop 50 Playgrounds In Naxal-Hit Dantewada
With the Naxalite presence gradually decreasing, the administration has introduced the 'Maidan Cup' in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation and Sachin Tendulkar Foundation. This project aims to develop 50 playgrounds in Dantewada to boost sports culture and talent. 'At least 20 playgrounds have been developed in the district so far with community participation, and we aim to meet our target by October," said Dantewada collector Kunal Dudawat. Last year, the state government organised the Bastar Olympics 2024 to promote sports talents from the Bastar region, including Dantewada and six other districts. The goal was to connect sports talents from Naxal-affected and sensitive districts with the world through games, he said. 'With this vision, we introduced the Maidan Cup to provide dedicated playgrounds for children and youth, further boosting sports talents in collaboration with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and Mann Deshi Foundation," he said. Dudawat explained that in the first phase, 50 playgrounds will be developed in as many villages, and the initiative will be expanded to the entire district in the next phase. Vibrant playgrounds are being developed in existing spaces within government high, higher secondary, and porta-cabin schools in the district, with community participation, he said. The official noted that 20 playgrounds have been developed with facilities for 13 different sports, including a running track, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, long jump, wall climbing, and more. He mentioned that while the district administration could have built the playgrounds independently, the idea was to involve the community and iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar to attract youth and children. The playgrounds were developed using locally available materials, with each facility costing no more than Rs 4 lakh. Local children painted the boundary walls of the playgrounds, Dudawat said. 'With these facilities, we hope the next sports personalities of the country will come from the Bastar region. Youths of Bastar have shown exceptional athleticism and possess physical and genetic traits advantageous for certain sports. Many youngsters from the region join the police, paramilitary, and armed forces, and we want them to excel in national and international sports as well," he said. 'In the long run, we aspire for the next Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra, and PT Usha to emerge from Bastar," he asserted. The official mentioned that panchayats developing the best playgrounds under this initiative would be rewarded with a skating park. He also highlighted the district administration's efforts to build a residential sports city, where elite athletes from the region will receive specialized training. This sports city will feature cricket, football, and hockey grounds, swimming pools, and other sports facilities, he added. 'For the first time in India, there is a community movement to build playgrounds for children," said Divya Sinha, who leads the project from the Mann Deshi Foundation. 'We want Dantewada and Bastar to be recognised as hubs for climbing and skateboarding rather than being known for Naxalism," she said. The Mann Deshi Foundation has been implementing the Maidan Cup initiative funded by the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, she said. Advertisement 'Imagine growing up in a place where children have never experienced the thrill of scoring a goal, the joy of swinging on a jungle gym, or the pride of competing in a kabaddi match. For years, this was the reality for thousands of kids in Dantewada, where conflict and poverty stole not just livelihoods but childhood itself. But today, something extraordinary is happening," she said. Sinha mentioned that around 70 per cent of Indian schools lack proper sports facilities, and over 500 million Indians have never played a sport. 'In Dantewada, many children have never had a safe space to run, play, or just be kids. This isn't just about games. Research shows that playgrounds reduce dropout rates, improve mental health, and even deter youth from joining extremist groups," she said. Playgrounds have already been completed in Chhindnar, Kasoli, and Heetameta villages, among others, directly impacting 10,000 children, she said. advetisement 'In Dantewada, we have trained sports teachers of 100 government schools as part of Mann Deshi Foundation's travel coach programme. In Maharashtra, we have trained 1,700 sports teachers from government schools. For the first time, the Maidan Cup initiative has been undertaken in Dantewada," Prabhat Sinha from Mann Deshi Foundation said. More than 150 villagers, including teachers, farmers, labourers, workers, and children, gathered to create playgrounds in Dantewada, he said. After Dantewada, the Maidan Cup initiative will be replicated in Jashpur (Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's home district) and Raigarh districts, he added.
Hindustan Times
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Tendulkar Foundation to develop 50 playgrounds in Maoist-affected Dantewada
Raipur: The Dantewada administration in Chhattisgarh has decided to develop 50 playgrounds under the Maidan Cup initiative in collaboration with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and the Mann Deshi Foundation in the Maoist-affected district. So far, 20 playgrounds have been completed through active community participation, and the remaining 30 are expected to be ready by October. 'This project is not just about sports infrastructure — it's about rebuilding lives, empowering youth, and giving Dantewada a new future,' said district collector, Dantewada, Kunal Dudawat. Inspired by the Bastar Olympics 2024, the Maidan Cup was launched to connect children and youth from remote areas to mainstream opportunities through sport, he added. The first phase targets the construction of playgrounds in 50 villages, to be expanded to the entire district in subsequent phases. The playgrounds are being built on the campuses of government high schools, higher secondary schools, and porta-cabin schools using local materials, with each costing under ₹4 lakh. They include facilities for 13 sports items such as running, long jump, javelin throw, shot put, discus, and wall climbing. Local children have also contributed by painting the boundary walls, making the spaces more vibrant and personal. Rather than constructing the facilities unilaterally, the administration brought in community support and iconic names like Sachin Tendulkar to generate enthusiasm among the youth. 'Our goal is to see the next generation of sports stars — like Tendulkar or Neeraj Chopra — emerge from Bastar,' Dudawat added. To further encourage quality development, panchayats creating the best playgrounds under the initiative will be rewarded with a skating park. In addition, work has begun on a residential sports city in Dantewada, which will offer specialised training and advanced facilities including grounds for cricket, football, and hockey, along with swimming pools and athlete housing. 'This is the first time India is witnessing a grassroots movement led by communities to build playgrounds for children,' said Divya Sinha of the Mann Deshi Foundation. 'We want Dantewada and Bastar to be known for climbing walls and skateboards — not conflict.' She noted that around 70% of Indian schools lack proper sports infrastructure, and over 500 million Indians have never played a sport. 'In Dantewada, many children have never had a safe space to run, play, or just be kids. But that's changing now.' So far, playgrounds in villages like Chhindnar, Kasoli, and Heetameta have been completed, directly benefiting around 10,000 children. Under the Foundation's travel coach programme, over 100 government school sports teachers have been trained in Dantewada — part of a broader vision that has already trained 1,700 teachers in Maharashtra. Prabhat Sinha from the Mann Deshi Foundation emphasised the community's active role in the initiative. 'More than 150 villagers — including teachers, farmers, labourers, and children — have come together to build these playgrounds with pride,' he said. Following its success in Dantewada, the Maidan Cup initiative is set to expand to other districts such as Jashpur — the home district of Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai — and Raigarh.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Building dreams: Sachin Tendulkar Foundation to develop 50 playgrounds in Chhattisgarh's Naxal-hit Dantewada
Dantewada in Chhattisgarh is shedding the tag of being a Naxal-affected district and is carving a new identity for itself as a sports hub thanks to the local administration's unique initiative supported by cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar 's foundation. With the Naxalite footprint gradually shrinking in the district, the administration has introduced 'Maidan Cup' in collaboration with the Mann Deshi Foundation and Sachin Tendulkar Foundation , under which 50 playgrounds will be developed in Dantewada to boost sports culture and talent. "At least 20 playgrounds have been developed in the district so far with community participation as a part of the project, and by October, the target will be achieved," Dantewada collector Kunal Dudawat told PTI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Elegant New Scooters For Seniors In 2024: The Prices May Surprise You Mobility Scooter | Search Ads Learn More Undo Last year, the state government organised the Bastar Olympics 2024 to promote sports talents from the Bastar region, comprising Dantewada and six other districts. The idea was to connect sports talents of Naxal-affected and sensitive districts with the world through games, he said. Live Events "Along these lines, we decided to introduce Maidan Cup to provide dedicated playgrounds to children and youth to further boost sports talents in collaboration with the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation and Mann Deshi Foundation, he said. Dudawat said in the first phase, 50 playgrounds will be developed in as many villages, and it will be replicated in the entire district in the next phase. Vibrant playgrounds are being developed in existing spaces on the premises of government high, higher secondary and porta-cabin schools in the district with the help of community participation, he said. The official said that 20 playgrounds have been developed with facilities for 13 different sports, including a running track, shot put, javelin throw, discus throw, long jump, wall climbing, etc. He said the district administration could have built the playgrounds on its own, but the idea was to involve community and iconic figures like Sachin Tendulkar to attract youths and children. The playgrounds were developed with materials available locally, and not more than Rs 4 lakh was spent on each of the facilities. Paintings on boundary walls of the playground have been done by local children, Dudawat said. "With these facilities, we want the next sports personality of the country to come from the Bastar region. Youths of Bastar have been torchbearers in athleticism, with specific physical and genetic traits advantageous for particular sports. Several youngsters from the region join the police, paramilitary and armed forces, and with these playgrounds, we want the youth to shine in national and internal sports," he said. "In the long run, we want the next Sachin Tendulkar, Neeraj Chopra and PT Usha to come from Bastar," he asserted. The official said panchayats that develop the best playgrounds in their areas under this initiative will be rewarded with a skating park. He further said the district administration has also been building a residential sports city, where elite athletes with medal potential from the region will receive specialised training. This sports city will have cricket, football and hockey grounds, swimming pools and other sports facilities, he added. "For the first time in India, there is a community movement to build a playground for children," said Divya Sinha, who is leading the project from the Mann Deshi Foundation. "We want Dantewada and Bastar to be reorganised as a hub for climbing and skateboarding rather than being known for Naxalism," she said. The Mann Deshi Foundation has been implementing the Maidan Cup initiative funded by the Sachin Tendulkar Foundation, she said. "Imagine growing up in a place where children have never felt the thrill of scoring a goal, the joy of swinging on a jungle gym, or the pride of competing in a kabaddi match. For years, this was the reality for thousands of kids in Dantewada, a region where conflict and poverty stole not just livelihoods but childhood itself. But today, something extraordinary is happening," she said. Sinha said around 70 per cent of Indian schools lack proper sports facilities, and over 500 million Indians have never played a sport. "In Dantewada, many children have never had a safe space to run, play, or just be kids. This isn't just about games. Research shows that playgrounds reduce dropout rates, improve mental health, and even deter youth from joining extremist groups," she said. Playgrounds have already been completed in Chhindnar, Kasoli and Heetameta villages, among others, directly impacting 10,000 children, she said. "In Dantewada, we have trained sports teachers of 100 government schools as a part of Mann Deshi Foundaton's travel coach programme. In Maharashtra, we have trained 1,700 sports teachers from government schools. For the first time, the Maidan Cup initiative has been undertaken in Dantewada in the country," Prabhat Sinha from Mann Deshi Foundation said. More than 150 villagers, including teachers, farmers, labourers, workers and children, gathered to make playgrounds in Dantewada, he said. After Dantewada, the Maidan Cup initiative will be replicated in Jashpur (Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai's home district) and Raigarh districts, he added.
