Raipur 17 November 2024/ Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Dev Sai today attended the closing ceremony of the CM Trophy India International Challenge Badminton Tournament 2024 organized at I Sportz Badminton Arena in Mova, capital Raipur. Addressing the function, Chief Minister Shri Sai said that the Chhattisgarh government is committed to promoting the sports talents of the state. Better facilities are being provided to the players and better sports infrastructure is being developed. He said that the Chhattisgarh player who wins gold medal in the Olympics will be given an incentive of Rs 3 crore, the silver medal winner will be given Rs 2 crore and the bronze medal winner will be given Rs 1 crore.
Chief Minister Shri Sai, while addressing the closing ceremony of CM Trophy India International Challenge Badminton Tournament 2024, said that it is a matter of great pleasure that this badminton tournament is being organized in Chhattisgarh, in which participants from 10 countries are taking part. Sports is not just a medium of competition, but it is a symbol of unity, discipline and dedication. It makes the youth positive and energetic. Makes you emotionally strong. We are continuously promoting sports in Chhattisgarh. There are many talented players in our state. We are also implementing the Khelo-India scheme of the Government of India in all the districts of Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister said that whenever I get an opportunity. I talk to the players and try to understand their expectations. Encourage them for their achievements. Just yesterday, I spoke to Dhamtari's badminton player Ritika Dhruv on video call and congratulated her for her achievements at the national level.
The Chief Minister said that Ritika told me that her father works as a laborer to earn her living and her mother is an Anganwadi helper. Despite the struggles, Ritika has performed brilliantly in badminton. I assured Ritika that you should move forward and make your parents as well as the entire Chhattisgarh proud. We will cooperate with you fully.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said that similarly, a few days ago also I spoke on phone to daughter Nisha, a mountaineer from Chhattisgarh. Nisha wants to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro in the East African country Tanzania. She also wants to conquer Mount Everest. His father is a rickshaw-puller. I came to know that due to weak financial condition the daughter is not able to go for mountaineering. I assured her of all support from the government and yesterday I sanctioned an amount of Rs. 4.45 lakh for Nisha's daughter.
The Chief Minister said that our government is committed to promoting sports talent. We will also provide all facilities for the players to progress in the field of badminton. The Chief Minister congratulated men's doubles winners Mr. Hariharan and Mr. Ruban Kumar. He also congratulated all the participants and organizers of the CM Trophy India International Challenge Badminton Tournament 2024. The Chief Minister welcomed the players and all their team members coming from abroad to Chhattisgarh.
On this occasion, Chhattisgarh Badminton Association President Mr. Vikram Sisodia, General Secretary Mr. Sanjay Mishra, Mr. Rakesh Shekhar, Mr. Gautam Mahanta, officials of the Badminton Association, players and a large number of sports lovers were present.