Sukhjeevan Sharma,
INVC,
Panchkula,
Haryana Governor Jagannath Pahadia today said that the sports policy of the state government has encouraged the players by securing jobs for the outstanding players. Pahadia was addressing the 20th All India Forest Sports Meet being organized by Haryana Forest Department at Tau Devi Lal Stadium. Last year in this competition organized at Dehradun, Haryana had bagged three gold medals, one silver and two bronze medals and expressed hope that this year the players from Haryana would bag more medals. He said that this competition would also help the players belonging to different states to exchange their beliefs, values, cultures and know each other in a better way and hence would strengthen our national integrity. Giving a warm welcome to the players belonging to different states, Haryana Forest and Environment Minister Capt. Ajay Singh Yadav said that sports are a feeling which teaches us how to live. Discipline, coordination and hard work are the keys to be a successful player and also pre requisites to make a mark in other fields as well. He said that all round development of the youth is a priority of the state government and during the last eight years the state government has taken concerted measures to groom sports talent of the youth. Players have been provided with better sports facilities and best sports infrastructure. He said that it is only the result of sports policy of the state government that players have brought laurels to the state by bagging medals at Commonwealth, Olympics, Asian and National Games. He said that in this sports meet, 28 states, seven union territories and ten foreign research institutes are competing for 173 events out of which 61 events are for athletics, 32 for weightlifting, 69 for indoor games and thirteen for swimming. The team events included hockey, cricket, football, volleyball, kabaddi, tug of war, table tennis, tennis, rapid shooting, golf, swimming, bridge, squash and badminton. Chief Parliamentary Secretary, Prahlad Singh Gillankhera, Director General, Union Forest and Environment Department, A.K. Srivastav, Additional Chief Secretary, Forest Department, Ramendra Jakhu and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, C. R. Jotriwal also spoke on the occasion. On this occasion, Capt. Yadav also announced to give Rs 51,000 out of his discretionary fund to the organizing committee of the sports meet and honoured the Chief Guests with souvenirs and shawls. On the first day of this competition, Pannu Swami M. bagged first position in 1500 m race (Men) whereas Harish from Uttrakhand and Sukhnandan from Chhattisgarh bagged second and third position respectively. In march-past, Chhattisgarh team won first position whereas teams of Tamil Nadu and Kerala won second and third position respectively. The winners were honoured by Mr. Pahadia. Deputy Commissioner, Ashima Brar, Deputy Commissioner of Police Parul Kush Jain, Addl. Deputy Commissioner Jagdeep Singh, City Magistrate Vandana Disodia, all officers of Forest Department and other dignitaries were also present on this occasions.
