Rajyavardhan Rathore knows how to identify talent, says Karnam Malleswari
Karnam Malleswari has heaped praise on Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore for his ‘Khelo India’ initiative by stating that he knows how to identify talent at the grass-root level. She also added that the ongoing school level event is a golden opportunity for youngsters to get support from people in charge.
Last year, Rathore took the responsibility of the union sports ministry and to encourage new talent in the field of sports, he promoted the idea of "Khelo India" which helped the school players from all over the country compete against each other. The ongoing Khelo India programme started on January 31 and will end on February 8 and in the nine-day event U-17 athletes participated in 16 disciplines in New Delhi which includes Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Football, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, Shooting, Swimming, Volleyball, Weightlifting, and Wrestling.
"Our minister is also an Olympian so he knows how to identify talent. The biggest advantage of the 'Khelo India' school games will be that now schools will also promote sports along with education," Malleswari told ANI.
"If we see now, there are not many opportunities for children; there is not much encouragement for sports. But if the schools have an opportunity to attain fame through 'Khelo India', they will support students and meanwhile, parents will also offer support to them."
Many athletes and players appreciated the move of promoting sports at the school level through this campaign as the management tried to give high-level facilities to the players and will use the Khelo India platform to pick the future representatives of the country.
Weightlifter Malleshwari, who won 2000 Olympic bronze medal, looked this event as the great opportunity for the upcoming athletes.
"This is a golden opportunity for the youth of the country. We did not have these kinds of facilities in our times," she said.
