State to host three national sports events, says Education Minister

Himachal will host three national-level school sports competitions in December, in which players from 36 states and union territories will participate. An amount of Rs 1 crore has been sanctioned for the events which include under-14 volleyball and under-19 handball and kabaddi events.

Education Minister Rohit Thakur shared the information while inaugurating the state-level under-14 sports competition for girls at Thakur Ram Lal Government Senior Secondary School, Jubbal. A total of 507 girls from all 12 districts and one sports hostel are participating in this competition.

Highlighting the importance of sports, Thakur said the government had taken several important decisions to promote sports, including increasing athletes’ diet money from Rs 120 to Rs 220, and recognizing athletes for outstanding performance at the national and international levels. “There are nine sports hostels across the state, where many athletes are receiving training. Thakur Ram Lal GSS School’s Girls’ Sports Hostel, established in 1987, has been providing volleyball training since inception. In the last two years, two more discipline - kabaddi and badminton – have been started here,” he said.

He further said that that the new hostel building, constructed at a cost of Rs 2.27 crore, would provide better facilities to the girls training at the hostel. “Additionally, a science block of Government Senior Secondary School, Jubbal, has also been constructed at a cost of Rs 2.47 crore,” he said.

He further said that significant progress was being made in the field of education in Jubbal. “A teacher training institute is being built in Dakaidh village, Jubbal, at a cost of Rs 17 crore, which will be a major institution in the region. Additionally, the ITI Jubbal building will be dedicated to the public in November, providing excellent educational facilities to students in the field of technical education,” he said.