New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday inaugurated the 37th National Games at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Goa’s Margao.
Addressing the gathering, PM Narendra Modi expressed that the National Games coincide with a period where Indian athletes are making significant strides globally. He also acknowledged Goa as the birthplace of numerous sports stars in the country.
“National Games are being held at that moment when Indian athletes are scripting new history at the world stage,” PM Modi said.
“These National Games is a strong ‘launch pad’ for all the players… All the players must give their best performance and break all old records,” he added.
Goa is hosting the National Games for the first time, scheduled from October 26 to November 9. With participation from over 10,000 athletes nationwide across 43 sports disciplines at 28 venues, this edition is set to become the largest-ever National Games held in the state.
The 37th National Games will also see the introduction of several new sports disciplines to the medal stage, such as beach football, roll ball, golf, sepaktakraw, sqay martial arts, kalleripattu, and pencak silat. Over the years, the National Games have featured the involvement of numerous notable Indian athletes, including Neeraj Chopra, Sania Mirza, Mirabai Chanu, Sajan Prakash, Manu Bhaker, and many more.