Rahul Gandhi urges Anurag Thakur to upgrade sports infra at Odisha’s Sundargarh

Priya Ranjan Swain Published On : Feb 12, 2024 at 4:39 PM

Bhubaneswar: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Anurag Thakur urging him to upgrade infrastructure for hockey players at SAI Special Area Games (SAG) centre at Sundargarh in Odisha.

Gandhi wrote the letter after meeting several young hockey players of Sundargarh during his recent Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra in Odisha.

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In his letter, Gandhi has praised the determination of the hockey players of Sundargarh. He has urged the Union Minister to replace and relay the astro turf at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) centre at Sundargarh.

“During my Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra, I met several budding hockey players currently training at SAI Special Area Games Centre at Sundargarh. I was struck by their passion to excel in the face of adversity and their drive to win accolades for India. During our interaction, I learnt that there is a need to replace and relay the Astro Turf at the SAI Centre to enable the players to train effectively,” Gandhi said in this letter to the Union Minister.

Gandhi further said that Sundargarh is a major hub for hockey and players from the district have excelled at the national and international stage.

“Bolstering the hockey infrastructure in Odisha can play a transformational role in identifying and nurturing sporting talent,” he added.