Bihar's Golden Achievement: From Sports Department to National Recognition

Bihar's name has been recorded in golden letters in national level sports events. The main reason for this is the successful organization of Khelo India Youth Games 2025 from 4 to 15 May. Special arrangements were made for this in five cities of the state, Patna, Nalanda (Rajgir), Gaya, Bhagalpur and Begusarai. Excellent arrangements were made by the state government for the stay, food and transportation of more than 10 thousand players and their support staff who came to participate in games of 28 different disciplines. This was also praised by all the players who came from other states.

For this, all the basic facilities were provided in various hotels of Patna, Gaya, Rajgir, Bhagalpur and Begusarai and in the state guest house. So that the players do not face any kind of problem. Separate arrangements were made for indoor games. AC and other necessary resources were provided in all indoor sports courts to avoid heat. All the competitions related to preparation were conducted in the 30 meter long international level swimming pool present in Bipad, Bodh Gaya. Similarly, some competitions were held on the jogging track specially made from imported rubber. German hangers were specially made in the grounds where games like Malkham, Yoga, Thangta were organized, so that players and spectators do not face any problem even in this scorching heat.

It started with the creation of a separate sports department

Under the visionary thinking of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to encourage sports, many important decisions were taken in the last few years to inspire the youth to adopt it as a great career option. It was established by creating a separate sports department. After this, many other facilities including sports grounds in all the districts, renovation of stadiums, construction of Pataliputra Sports Complex in Patna, international level stadium and sports complex in Rajgir were prepared. With this, all kinds of facilities from sports infrastructure to other facilities were developed. As a result of this, before Khelo India, very special events like the Sepak Takraw World Cup and the Women's Hockey Asia Cup were organized in Rajgir. The special scheme of the state government to develop sports grounds in all the panchayats of Bihar is being implemented rapidly. So that the youth get a direct sports environment at the panchayat level itself and they can take advantage of it.

Bring a medal and get a job

The state government announced the Medal Bring, Job Get scheme about 4-5 years ago. Along with this, the exercise of developing all the infrastructure related to sports and making all the necessary facilities available started. This increased the desire of the youth to perform better in sports. Arrangements were made to give direct jobs to players who perform well in any sport or win medals at the national or international level, including assistants, in the secretariat and district offices on other equivalent posts. A large number of players are taking advantage of this.

Bihar made all the preparations on its own

Bihar handled the preparations for such a big event on its own. For this, no help was taken from any external agency or any external big caterer. When the responsibility of organizing Khelo India was given, a team of officers and officials visited the states of Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand to prepare a well-planned action plan by focusing on all the minute aspects related to it. Because this great sports event was organized in these two states last time. During the entire event, special attention was also paid to balanced and nutritious diet for the players. 29 kg chicken, 16 kg paneer, 14 kg rice, 7 kg dal, 8 kg wheat and 2 kg millet flour was arranged for every 100 players. On the basis of this standard, their diet was taken care of completely. Food was arranged by preparing German hangars in the grounds of Patliputra Stadium, IAS Bhawan located in Patna. So that no one faces any problem due to the weather. Apart from this, special security arrangements were made in all the sports complexes. Apart from a team of 170 members, a large number of police force was deployed round the clock. So that there is no disruption in the game. Players and officials were connected to each other through many Whatsapp groups and other social media platforms so that there is no hindrance in the exchange of information. Proper care was taken to disseminate information related to food, security and all other important events. One nodal officer was appointed for each venue.

Bihar established a special identity

The development of all the facilities and amenities related to sports has had a direct impact on the sports talent here. A large number of young players emerged and dominated the scene. In the last seven years, a growth of 620 percent has been recorded in the field of sports. This time, in all 28 competitions, the players of Bihar won a total of 36 medals, including 7 gold. Last year, only 5 medals were won, of which only two were gold. Bihar's ranking has improved to 14th place at the national level.