23 sports academies to be set up in eight major cities of the state. Uttarakhand’s first sports university to be set up in Haldwani and a women’s sports college to be set up in Lohaghat. CM Pushkar Singh Dhami launched the “Asian Sub-Junior Men and Women Cup and Asian University Cup Power Lifting Competition 2025” organized by the Uttarakhand Power Lifting Association in Dehradun.
With the aim of establishing Uttarakhand as a playground, our government is soon going to implement a ‘Sports Legacy Plan’ in the state, under which 23 sports academies will be set up in eight major cities of the state. Each year, 920 world-class athletes and 1,000 other sportspersons will receive high-level training at these academies. Our government is also rapidly working towards setting up Uttarakhand’s first sports university in Haldwani and a women’s sports college in Lohaghat. Our government has implemented a new sports policy for the overall development of sports in the state and to encourage sportspersons. Under this policy, out-of-turn government jobs are being provided to national and international medal-winning sportspersons.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami inaugurated the “Asian Sub-Junior Men and Women Cup and Asian University Cup Power Lifting Competition 2025” organized by the Uttarakhand Power Lifting Association at Hotel Hyatt Centric Dehradun. More than 300 talented athletes from 16 countries in Asia, including India, are participating in this Powerlifting Championship being held from May 5 to May 12. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dhami said that our government is working to encourage the budding young players of the state through programs like ‘Mukhyamantri Khel Vikas Nidhi’, ‘Mukhyamantri Khiladi Protsahan Yojana’, ‘Mukhyamantri Udyaman Khiladi Yojana’, and ‘Khel Kit Yojana’. We are also honoring the merit of sportspersons by conferring the ‘Uttarakhand Khel Ratna Award’ and ‘Himalaya Khel Ratna Award’. Along with this, we have re-implemented the 4 percent sports quota for sportspersons in the state government services so that the hard work and excellence of our sportspersons receive due opportunity and respect.
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that physical strength and skills have a special place in ancient Indian history. While in ancient times our ancestors used to demonstrate their strength and diligence with traditional tools like mugdar, mace, and plough, today they have been replaced by modern sports like weight lifting and powerlifting. The Chief Minister said that the methods of lifting weights in modern power lifting are inspired by these traditional Indian sports. Competitions like power lifting not only boost self-confidence and discipline among the youth but also play an important role in empowering them physically and mentally. The Chief Minister said that since the beginning of his tenure, Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji has been promoting sports culture in the country through programmes like “Khelo India” and “Fit India Movement.”
Today, under the able leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, India is also scaling new heights in the field of sports and making its mark on the global stage. Under his guidance, our government is also making continuous efforts to promote sports culture and encourage sportspersons in the state. Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami said that the grand and successful organization of the 38th National Games held in our state this year has paved the way to establish Uttarakhand as “Devbhoomi” as well as “Khel Bhoomi.”
We have built a state-of-the-art stadium in Uttarakhand at a cost of Rs 517 crore and developed world-class sports infrastructure in Uttarakhand by bringing international level sports equipment at a cost of about Rs 100 crore. An example of this is the “Power Lifting Competition.”
CM Pushkar Singh Dhami said that today this world-class stadium and sports facilities have become a strong base for the training of the players of the state. Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami said that sports has a much more important ‘sportsman spirit’ than defeat, as it teaches us discipline, patience, tolerance, and mutual respect, which are not limited to the sports complex but become a guide for us in every aspect of life. Sports Minister Rekha Arya, MLA Khajan Das, Special Chief Secretary Amit Sinha, Additional Secretary Prashant Arya, and a large number of power lifters from different countries were present on the occasion. Department of Information and Public Relations.