Anju Bobby George said that Khelo India has provided the much-needed platform to young talents
Anju Bobby George, the first Indian athlete to win a medal at the World Athletics Championships, is hopeful that the ‘Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG)’ will bridge the gap between grassroots competition and top-notch competition in athletics. The upcoming season of ‘Khelo India Youth Games’ will be held in eight cities of Madhya Pradesh. Starting from January 30, 27 sports have been included in this event. The track and field event at KIYG 2022 will run for three days. It will be organized at TT Nagar Stadium in Bhopal from February 3 to 5.
Apart from Bhopal, these games will be organized in Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Mandla, Khargone (Maheshwar) and Balaghat. Anju, a former long jumper, is a member of the Mission Olympic Cell of the government. He is responsible for selecting athletes for TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme). He believes that the Khelo India scheme will act as a foundation in terms of nurturing talent.
Anju told ‘KIYG Media’ during an event, “It is a unique project with the right intention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Sports Ministry. It has already started giving results. However, it is a continuous process and we have to take it forward. ”””’ He said, ” In these games, young children up to 18 years get an opportunity to show their talent. This kind of opportunity did not exist before. “He said,” The government provides funds for the training of the players who make it to this. They also get pocket allowance.
