Sports Minister turns up at National Open

Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today made a hurriedly planned visit at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium here to witness the ongoing National Open Athletics Championships here to extend his support to the athletes.
Sonowal watched a few races, interacted with athletes and then distributed medals to top three finishers at the victory ceremony of the men's 3000m steeplechase.
"I have come here to offer my encouragement to the athletes. They have brought laurels to the country and it is important to keep their morale high," Sonowal later said.
Asked about the issue of athletes having their throw events at the practice area as the centre pitch at the stadium has been booked by the organisers of Indian Super League football tournament, he said, "I am looking into the matter."

Indian athletics head coach Bahadur Singh later said that the minister had promised that such a problem will not be allowed to come up in future and Jawaharal Nehru Stadium will be made available for athletics events.
"I brought up this issue of throwers being forced to compete at the practice area. The minister told me that since Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium has been built as an athletics stadium, in future it will always be made available for any athletics meet," Bahadur Singh.
"He (Sonowal) also said that in view of impressive performance in the Asian Games by Indian track and field athletes, the budget for athletics will also be increased. We are getting around Rs 11-12 crores. We have asked him to raise it to Rs 25-30 crores," he said.