‘Dream big, train hard’

Metro India News | Hyderabad

Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy on Thursday called upon India’s youth to actively contribute to the country’s sporting ambitions and nation-building while addressing the "Khelo India Dialogue - Khel Ki Baat PM Ke Saath" at the English and Foreign Languages University (EFLU), Hyderabad.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nationwide dialogue through video conference, focusing on building a modern sports ecosystem and preparing India’s youth for the 2036 Olympic Games. More than 1,500 educational institutions across the country participated in the interaction.

Kishan Reddy said every child should have an opportunity to play and every talented athlete should receive the necessary support to compete at the highest international level. He said sports is no longer viewed merely as an extracurricular activity but has become an important instrument of youth development, health, discipline, employment and nation-building.

Highlighting India’s recent sporting achievements, he referred to Neeraj Chopra's historic Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020, the Indian men's hockey team's bronze medal at Tokyo and Manu Bhaker's two bronze medals at Paris Olympics 2024. The Union Minister said India must build on these achievements and begin preparations for the 2036 Olympics from schools, colleges, universities, academies, playgrounds and Khelo India Centres. He stressed that Olympic talent can emerge from villages, towns and every part of the country, and urged students to dream big, train hard, remain disciplined and believe in themselves.

Kishan Reddy also underlined the role of universities such as EFLU in enabling students to pursue education and sports together. He said sports develop discipline, teamwork, leadership, perseverance, confidence and fair play - qualities essential for building a strong and developed India.

Expressing confidence in India’s young talent, he said future champions who could bring glory to the country at the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2036 Olympics may already be among today’s participants.

He called upon the youth to work towards building a "Fit India, Healthy India, Developed India and Sports India" in line with the vision of a Viksit Bharat.

EFLU Vice-Chancellor Prof. N. Nagaraju, Registrar Sini Manchala, PIB ADG Shruti Patil, athlete J. J. Shobha, badminton player Shriyanshi Valishetty and Yuva Connect moderator Sreeja Jadhav were among those present.