NEW DELHI: Following the launch of Khelo India School Games earlier this month, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports today launched the PLEDGE for Khelo India at the Khelo India School Games Carnival in Delhi. The pledge is a promise to participate and encourage sportsmanship spirit and it is aimed at inspiring youngsters to build mass participation and excellence in sports. The Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore took the pledge today at the carnival.
Tied together with impactful words, the pledge resonates with the vision of the programme, and inspires young Indians to inculcate sport as an indispensable part of their lives. The pledge will be a crucial aspect of every Khelo India activity and will be taken before the commencement of every game. To expand the reach of the pledge it will be shared with one million plus schools across the country – who will impart the pledge to students and teachers. This drive will ensure that millions of students along with their teachers and parents take the pledge to support Khelo India and bring it to the forefront as the largest sporting movement in the country.
Commenting on the occasion, Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Hon’ble Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports said, “We have always believed that Khelo India is a people’s movement and the immense outpouring of support for Khelo India received is a testimony to this belief. It gives us great pleasure to launch the Khelo India Pledge and we are optimistic that every sportsman will find encouragement in these words. At this carnival, the sheer number of people who have come forward to pledge for the success of the Khelo India School Games is an endorsement of the potential for the future of sports in India. We are confident the pledge will play a vital role in encouraging and fostering the spirit of sporting culture in the country.”
Focussed on building an inclusive and comprehensive sports ecosystem in the country, Khelo India will lay emphasis on inculcating sports into the day to day lives of youngsters early on in their lives. The initiative commences with Khelo India School Games that concentrates on creating a platform to showcase hidden talent, fostering young sports prodigies and creating awareness and cognizance about physical fitness as well as good health amongst youngsters.
Khelo India School Games will be held at multiple venues across Delhi including Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, Karni Singh Shooting Range and Dr. SPM Swimming Complex. The program encompasses 16 sports disciplines such as Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Shooting, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting and Wrestling.
The magnitude of the event is enormous, and next 9 days will witness over 3500 athletes, 1250 officials and over 800 volunteers participating in the event. There are 16 disciplines under which there are in all 199 gold medals, 199 silver medals, 275 bronze medals, to be awarded. The opening ceremony of the programme will be held in New Delhi on January 31, 2018 from 5:00 pm onwards, and will be telecast live on Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports First and Hotstar. The program will conclude on February 8, 2018.
खेलो इंडिया शपथ
हम शपथ लेते हैं कि
खेलों को अपने जीवन का हिस्सा बनाएंगे,
खेलेंगे और खेलना सिखाएंगे |
खेलों से जुड़ कर हम स्वस्थ भारत बनाएंगे,
खेल-खिलाड़ी का हम हौसला बढ़ाएंगे |
हम शपथ लेते हैं कि
हार-जीत से आगे बढ़कर मैं को हम बनाएंगे,
खेलों से खिलकर हम नई क्रांति लाएंगे,
न्यू इंडिया बनाएंगे, खेलेंगे और खेलना सिखाएंगे |
जय हिंद !
Sport has the power to change the world, it has the power to inspire and unite the youth like nothing else can, in line with this belief, Khelo India, invites people to take the pledge by logging on to www.kheloindia.gov.in or by giving a missed call at 902-900-1431. Over 5 lakh individuals have already taken the pledge to support this movement.
