Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal has inaugurated two sports academies - National Academy for Athletics and the National Academy for Golf at the Lakshmibhai National College of Physical Education at Kariavattom near here.
Sonowal urged the youth and sports enthusiasts to make sports a part of their daily life. Quoting Swami Vivekananda, Sonowal said, "Playing football will make you understand the meaning of Bhagavat Gita".
The National Academy for Athletics will give training for sub junior, junior and senior athletes, selected across the Country with the help of expert coaches including foreign ones. The academy has been established as the first academy in sports in the country under public-private partnership with M/s. JSW.
For the National Golf Academy, the Sports Authority of India has initially selected 20 children in the age group of 8 to 14 from various schools in Kerala who will be the first batch of golfers.
Eminent sports persons, who won laurels for the country in the national and international arena, were felicitated by Sonowal.
A minute of silence was observed in the memory of late Udaya Kumar, former captain of the National Volleyball Team, who died recently.