The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi addressed the 2-day ‘Chintan Shivir’ of Ministers of Youth Affairs & Sports of States/UTs being held in Imphal, Manipur today via video message.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister expressed delight that ‘Chintan Shivir’ is taking place in Manipur this year and many sportspersons from the Northeast have raised the glory of the Tricolour by winning medals for the country. The Prime Minister highlighted the indigenous games of the region such as Sagol Kangjai, Thang-ta, Yubi Lakpi, Mukna and Hiang Tannaba, and said that they are very attractive in their own right. “Northeast and Manipur have significantly contributed to taking forward the sports tradition of the country”, Shri Modi added. Further explaining the indigenous games, the Prime Minister mentioned Oo-Lawabi of Manipur which resembles Kabaddi, Hiyang Tannaba reminds one of Kerala’s boat race. He also noted Manipur’s historical association with polo and said that the Northeast adds new colours to the country’s cultural diversity and provides new dimensions to the country’s sports diversity. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that Sports Ministers from all over the country will have a learning experience at the end of the ‘Chintan Shivir’.
“Any Chintan Shivir begins with contemplation, proceeds with rumination and ends with implementation”, the Prime Minister remarked, throwing light on the Chintan Shivir and underlined the need to discuss future goals and also review the previous conferences. Recalling the previous meeting in Kevadiya in 2022, the Prime Minister pointed out that many important issues were discussed and an agreement was reached to make a road map for an ecosystem for the betterment of sports. The Prime Minister touched upon increasing the participation between the center and the states in the sports sector and highlighted the strides that have been made possible. He further added that this review should not be carried out at the level of policies and programs but on infrastructure development and sports achievements of the previous year.
