Urban games from Jan 26 next year

Jaipur: Into its last leg, around 4000 athletes are competing at the four-day state-level events of the ongoing Rajiv Gandhi Rural Olympic Games which started from Sunday. At the grand opening ceremony held at the SMS Stadium, chief minister Ashok Gehlot also announced that the state government will launch urban Olympic games on similar lines from January 26 next year. “Former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest PM of the country and he was the first one to promote youth. The next budget will be focused on youth and athletes. Hard work on a playing field helps boost self-confidence and also teaches you valuable life lessons. Hopefully these rural games will help unearth new talent that will go on to win at the international stage and make India proud,” the chief minister said.He added that the state government will construct a stadium in every district after Major Dhyan Chand’s name.The chief minister also felicitated Khel Ratna Award winners Devendra Jhajharia, Avani Lekhara and Krishna Nagar along with other state players Anuj Kumar, Sundar Singh Gurjar, Deepak Hooda, Mukesh Choudhary, Kavita Sihag, Abhinav Sharma, Jhanvi Mehra, Varsha Jakhad, Shubham Gora, Nitika Bansal, Balwant Singh, Sumit Punia and Neeraj. tnn