Bihar's Sporting Revolution: From Laggard to Emerging Powerhouse
Earlier, only Haryana, Punjab, Odisha and some states of South India were among those who took initiatives towards strengthening the roots of sports culture in the country. But, in the last decades, Bihar has taken rapid steps towards encouraging sports and players. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the state has started realizing the dream of India becoming a sports superpower. A glimpse of this is being seen in the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 being hosted by the state. The players here are not only winning medals but also the hearts of the people with their performance.
Recently, Suhani Kumari, a resident of Chhapra, has made the state proud by winning a medal in the Individual Pursuit Cycling event. The host players are also performing well in other sports.
Promising players are being prepared with the help of the state government
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Bihar has made rapid progress in the field of sports in the last two decades. The state government has strengthened its sports policy and has developed world-class facilities keeping in mind the needs of the players. To encourage the players, the state government has started many schemes and by taking advantage of them, the players of the state are bringing glory to the state at the national and international level.
Cyclist Suhani has also improved her game with the help of the state government. She told that she has been selected under the Prerna category of the Chief Minister's Sports Scholarship Scheme. Not only this, to encourage her excellent cycling talent, the Chief Minister provided her a bicycle worth Rs 11 lakh.
It should be noted that under the Prerna Scholarship Scheme, the players are given an amount of Rs 3 lakh every year by the state government.
Cycling track will be ready soon in Rajgir
In terms of sports facilities, Bihar has made a lot of progress in the last few years. From international stadium to world class indoor stadium are ready. Not only this, the Bihar government is also working fast towards promoting athletics. According to the officials of the Sports Department, an international level cycling track equipped with state-of-the-art facilities will soon be ready in Rajgir. Its construction work is in progress and it will be opened for players soon.
Suhani became an inspiration for the daughters of Bihar
Suhani's achievement is not only the result of her continuous practice and dedication, but it has also become an inspiration for the youth of Bihar, especially the daughters. She has shown that if talent gets the right opportunity, proper guidance, resources and support of the government, then they can wave their flag at the national level.
National events like Khelo India Youth Games give the youth of different states of India an opportunity to showcase their talent and compete on a big stage. Bihar's active participation and the number of medal winners indicate that there is a new awareness and energy towards sports in the state. Suhani Kumari's achievement is a symbol of the fact that the daughters of Bihar are now making their mark in the sports fields with confidence and determination.
A big sports infrastructure is being built in Bihar
Work is being done on a war footing to increase the facilities of sports and players in Bihar. The state government is constructing sports bhawan cum gymnasium in all the districts of the state along with outdoor stadiums at the block level. Not only this, it is running a large-scale program to find and hone grassroots talents in rural and urban areas.
Under the talent search campaign named Mashal, hidden talents are being discovered, while through the sports scholarship scheme, they are being prepared to reach the international level by giving them financial assistance. The 'Medal Lao, Naukri Pao' scheme is another big initiative towards making the state a sports power. The state government is giving immediate jobs to talented players who win medals at the international and national level. So far 367 players have got jobs under this scheme.
The state government has taken many big steps to encourage players and promote sports. As a result of this, the hosting of Hockey Championship was handed over to Bihar before Khelo India Youth Games. Preparations are going on in the state to host many more international level competitions in the coming time. Bihar, which once faced criticism for its poor infrastructure, is today making a name for itself not only in the country but also on the world stage on the basis of its sports facilities and talents.
