Uttar Pradesh’s growth story in the sports sector continues as it marches towards Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s dream of making India a sporting power with what can be termed a historic event as the Department of Uttar Pradesh signed several Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) in the presence of Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Information and Broadcasting, Shri Girish Chandra Yadav, Minister of State (Independent Charge), Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh and Shri. Navneet Sehgal, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Uttar Pradesh.
The sports-focused session titled “Harnessing opportunities in the sports sector in Uttar Pradesh” at the Invest UP Summit saw MoU’s being signed to strengthen the grassroots sports ecosystem of the state and create synergies with corporates and organizations to work on PPP model to empower athlete training in the state.
HCL Foundation intends to work with 5,000 underserved children and youth and persons with a disability to identify and nurture talent in multiple sports with the vision of mainstreaming them in the existing sports ecosystem of India. The proposed project will be implemented in Lucknow, Gautam Buddha Nagar & Hardoi districts of Uttar Pradesh.
Sporta Technologies (Dream Sports) and GoUP have signed an MoU within which they will be working with the government for grassroots sports development, elite athletes’ development and technology and streaming partnerships.
Abhinav Futuristics plans to establish world-class High-Performance Sports Training & Rehabilitation Centres in UP and also operate the Centre for 5 years to cater for the needs of around 5000 athletes across the State ranging from grassroots sports to elite levels.
Rugby India has signed an MoU with the GoUP within which through the ‘Get Into Rugby’ (Uttar Pradesh Grassroots Development) Program, the Indian Rugby Football Union (in conjunction with its affiliated State unit – Rugby Football Association of Uttar Pradesh) aims to reach out to 3-4 target locations within the State and conduct Training & Education Orientation Workshops / Courses , activities & events in Schools, local tournaments & competitions and coaching camps to support the preparation of the UP State Teams.
The European Business & Technology Centre will explore the possible opportunities and development of sports to support the Sustainability and Technological Advancements in the State of Uttar Pradesh, which includes both infrastructure as well as softer aspects. The company will be supported by Vistra ITCL Limited and other members of the Europe-India Sports Cluster.
MotoGP Bharat is organising the Race world championship in BIC Lucknow with a proposed investment of 473 crores and will employ 500 people. Inspire Institute of Sport, a high-performance training centre for athletes founded by the JSW Group will work on various initiatives with the Department of Sports. Univ Sportatech will work with GoUP to organise marathons & cyclothons, sports Trade Exhibition, Sports Conferences and Esports Events and programmes. TransStadia signed an MoU with GoUP to takeover stadiums on PPP model. Dwight Howard plans to take over the Sigra Basketball facilities to open an academy. Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association was also handed over the letter of approval for an International cricket stadium in Varanasi.
Shri. Anurag Thakur said: “Today marks a new vision for Uttar Pradesh as this is the first time ever that a sports investment session is being organised which spotlights how important the sector is to the government. Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. Narendra Modi ji, the sporting ecosystem of the country has undergone massive transformation. As he said , the Amrit Kaal of independence, the country is forging new definitions and creating a new order and sports is finally being viewed from the athletes’ perspective and not from the government’s. We have passed a historical sports budget earlier this month to give a further impetus to the sports sector and ensure that no youth is left behind due to shortage of money, access to good stadiums and training
Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri. Yogi Adityanath ji is implementing the vision of our Hon’ble PM ji efficiently and effectively at both grassroots and elite level. UP was the only state to felicitate all the Olympic medallists which speaks volume.”
Shri. Girish Chandra Yadav said: “Under the able leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri. Yogi Adityanath, Uttar Pradesh is poised to become the ‘growth engine’ of New India in the sports sector as well. Uttar Pradesh has helped push sports in an organized manner and we are preparing grounds in every gram panchayat, making open gyms, making mini stadiums, making stadiums in every district, and promoting sports colleges, alongside private academies. We are pleased to have esteemed organisations from all over the country for collaborating with our state.”
Shri. Navneet Sehgal said: “Uttar Pradesh has been proactive in developing its own sports development strategies while promoting and implementing Central Government initiatives for the athletes’ benefit. Moving forward, the Department of Sports envisions putting UP at the forefront of the national sporting movement by setting the benchmark for good governance and efficient implementation of large-scale sports and fitness programs while inviting investments from various corporates and organisations. In this regard, we are looking forward to working with esteemed organisations to provide boost to the sporting ecosystem of the state.”
Abhinav Bindra, Olympic Gold Medallist and Founder, Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance said: “We envision a partnership with the state government to set up a state of the art Center for high performance and injury management. Also, through my foundation, I pledge to take care of the needs of all the athletes of the state who may get injured and require surgical intervention . We will take care of their surgery , their rehabilitation, and psychological support.
Carlos Ezpeleta, Chief Strategy Officer, Dorna (MotoGP) said: “I am truly thankful to Uttar Pradesh government to give me the opportunity to address this wonderful gathering.
“All of us at Dorna are incredibly excited to bring the MotoGP race to UP. We know that there is a deep synergy with India because of its massive motorcycling population. I felt straight away that this race is a natural fit to the huge 2-wheeler manufacturing base that India is. We are so looking forward to the race in UP and are looking forward to holding a successful event here in September.
We thank the UP government for the huge support extended to us and are pleased to add this 21st round to our calendar for the next 7 years, at the very least.”
Poul V. Jensen, Managing Director, European Business and Technology Centre (EBTC) said: “It is heartening to see the rapid rise of sports in India and UP, both in terms of recreation and excellence. The Europe-India Sports Cluster, managed by EBTC, led by its Cluster Members including Vistra ITCL Ltd. is pleased to support the sports initiatives of UP. The Cluster will aim to mobilise INR 200 crore from European investors and stakeholders to catalyse infrastructure development, footballing initiatives as well as support talent in the State of UP.”
Yannick Colaco, Co-Founder of FanCode said: “It is encouraging to see the sports sector gaining prominence across India, and the steps taken by the government of UP to promote sports are highly commendable. At FanCode, we are solving for access to under-served sports events from India and internationally. We have already seen an excellent response for the live stream of these matches on FanCode, which indicates growth potential for such events.
“Dream Sports and its investment arm Dream Capital has supported growth as we all work towards the shared vision of improving sports. Dream Sports is honoured to sign an MOU with the UP Government to facilitate grassroots sports development and leverage technology to develop sports and sporting culture.”
Suresh Raina, Indian Cricketer said: “As someone who is part of the sports ecosystem of the state, I am very happy to see the growing interest of big corporates and organisations in the sports sector. This structured approach by the Uttar Pradesh sports department will strengthen the position of sports in the state and empower athletes.”
Benedicte de la Briere, Lead Economist in the Social Protection and Jobs Practice, World Bank said: “It is amazing to see Uttar Pradesh headed in the right direction when it comes to sports. Sports can grow the economy and create jobs. The sector can also help lay the foundation for sustainable and inclusive growth by supporting the formation, use, and preservation of human capital. Building the health of youth, the soft skills they will need for the jobs of tomorrow, and improve their chances of leading a productive life and ageing healthily.”
Rahul Bose, President, Rugby India said: “The vision to make Uttar Pradesh a sports hub in the country is commendable and we are grateful to the Department of Sports, Government of Uttar Pradesh for including Rugby in their plans and for giving us an opportunity to further develop the sport at the grassroots level within the State.
We truly believe there is immense untapped potential in UP and through this partnership we aim to reach out and introduce this Olympic sport to the youth, both boys and girls, and create a platform and structured pathway for them to progress ahead so one day they will represent the country. Aligned with the vision Govt of UP, it is also our endeavour to potentially host major Rugby events within the State and showcase it as a sporting destination.”
Dr. Nidhi Pundhir – Vice President, Global CSR, HCL Foundation said: “Sports for Change’ is a CSR initiative by HCL Foundation where 27,000+ athletes are being trained across India of which 14,000+ athletes are from Uttar Pradesh.
“We are happy to have signed an MoU with the Department of Sports, Government of Uttar Pradesh under which we will mainstream 5,000 more children and youth from the underserved sections of the society with higher focus on girls, including para-athletes into sports such as football, kabaddi, volleyball & athletics. Our shining stars Jerlin (Arjuna Awardee and Deaflympian), Kanishri (Asian Games Medalist, Chess), Anitha (Kabaddi), Chandini (Basketball) and many more are true results of this initiative.”
Richard Barlow, Head of Political and Bilateral Affairs, British High Commission, said: “UP has produced some of the most successful athletes of India and there is a great partnership potential between Uttar Pradesh and the United Kingdom. I appreciate the efforts of the UP government in maintaining law and order in the state.”
