Bhubaneswar: Minister for Sports and Youth Services Tusharkanti Behera visited the site of hosts Jain University on day 10 of the Khelo India University Games (KIUG) 2021 here in Bengaluru.
During his visit, the Minister took a tour of the sprawling Jain University campus and even attended the ongoing action in Wrestling, Kabaddi and Karate.
Assessing the sporting facilities at the Jain University campus, the Minister said, “The first edition of KIUG at KIIT University in Bhubaneswar had over 150 universities and approximately 2500 to 3000 athletes. This edition has grown bigger on scale, with over 200 universities and over 4000 athletes, thus carrying on from the legacy of the first edition in Odisha. This has been possible because of the fantastic facilities here at Jain University. Maximum number of disciplines at the Games – 12 disciplines – have been staged at this venue over here.”
“This event has been beneficial for athletes because the coronavirus pandemic effectively took away two years from athletes as all outdoor activities and sports came to a halt. There are many athletes here who are seriously motivated and want to establish themselves in their disciplines at a high level, and this platform allows them an opportunity to do just that. I am really happy to witness this event live and I am sure that future editions of KIUG will be even bigger with participation from more number of universities and athletes each year,” he added.
Two years on from the maiden edition of the Khelo India University Games 2020 hosted by the KIIT University in Bhubaneswar, the Minister spoke about the long-term benefits that hosting the event had on the sports ecosystem in Odisha.
“I am grateful to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for taking the initiative to bring the first edition of the Khelo India University Games to Odisha in 2020. The infrastructure across different disciplines developed during the event is of world class standards and capable of hosting International level competitions in the future.”
“KIUG is a unique platform. The different universities and athletes that came to Odisha from all over India for the first edition fostered a cultural assimilation among the athletes. It gave them a lot of exposure and the opportunity to learn from the strengths and weaknesses of their peers from different universities. Athletes got a chance to see where they stand amongst the competition and that allowed them to build on their weaknesses. This is great for sports because it has motivated athletes to strive to do better. It has allowed several athletes to rise to compete consistently at the National and International level,” he said. As a parting comment, the Minister shared his best wishes for all athletes from Odisha at the Khelo India University Games 2021.