NT Reporter
Sankhali
Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar on Monday announced that the state government plans to establish sports schools under the Khelo India Scheme at various locations across Goa, with each school being developed at an investment of Rs 10 crore to provide modern infrastructure and training facilities aimed at nurturing young talent.
Speaking at the MLA Cup ceremony organised by the Mayem MLA Premendra Shet at Mayem, Tawadkar said the initiative seeks to overcome seasonal disruptions such as the monsoons, which currently restrict sports training in the state to nearly six months a year.
“We are allocating Rs 10 crore for this sports school to build spacious grounds and world-class amenities. This will give a new impetus to sports in Goa,” he said.
Rajya Sabha MP Sadanand Shet Tanavade said that the MLA Cup has played a key role in identifying and encouraging sporting talent from rural areas. He said the event has successfully scouted players who later went on to perform at the state and national levels.
Bicholim MLA Dr Chandrakant Shetye said that sports play an important role in building character and reducing stress.
The event also featured the distribution of sports kits to participants, felicitation of outstanding athletes, anchoring by Samruddhi Ganpule, and a vote of thanks by Shankar Chodankar.
Khelo India is a national programme launched by the central government to promote sports at the grassroots level. Goa’s decision to set up sports schools aligns with the scheme’s objectives of improving infrastructure, providing quality coaching, and encouraging youth participation in sports.
The initiative is expected to strengthen Goa’s sporting ecosystem and produce athletes capable of competing at national and international platforms.
The programme was also attended by district member Kunda Mandrekar, sarpanch Dayanand Karbotkar, Vasudev Gaonkar, officers of Vedanta Company Dheeraj Kumar Jagdish and Ashish Pilarnkar, and others.
