Union sports minister anurag thakur

Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur: Former Indian football team captain Baichung Bhutia feels that hosting the 2036 Olympics will take Indian sports to great heights. On the third day of the ongoing seven-day ‘Khel Mahakumbh,’ Bhutia and former Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur graced the event, motivating young athletes with their inspiring words.

The grand sports festival, organised by Kreeda Bharati and TYC, saw Bhutia as the chief guest in the first session. Addressing the gathering, Bhutia praised the Uttar Pradesh government's efforts in promoting sports, stating, “The initiatives of Yogi ji for football are remarkable. If UP progresses, India progresses. Hosting the 2036 Olympics will take Indian sports to great heights.” He further emphasised the need for collaborative efforts between the government and institutions like Dream Sports Foundation to enhance sports infrastructure and training.

In the second session, Anurag Thakur took centre stage, stressing the importance of promoting India’s traditional sports on a global platform. “We need to take our indigenous sports like Kabaddi, Kalaripayattu, Mallakhamb, and Kho-Kho to international levels. Before the world recognises our traditional sports, we must embrace them first. During my tenure as Sports Minister under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, we started actively promoting our native sports, and I am glad to see the momentum continue,” he said.