Army chief, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, on Monday said that Khelo India Youth Games is a very good initiative to promote sports in-country and army have been improving its performance in the games.
Athletes from the army won 24 medals 2018 edition of Khelo India Youth Games and increased their performance in 2019 as they clinched 50 medals. In the recently concluded 2020 Khelo India Youth Games which was held in Guwahati, Assam, athletes from army bagged 65 medals.
"Khelo India program is very good initiative which has been taken up to promote sports in the country, it had started in 2018 in that edition we had won 24 medals all together and then in 2019 that figure went up to 50 and in this latest edition it has gone up to 65, so definitely our performance in the game is been improving and I'm sure with kind of patronage and backing of the government we will be able to do much better not only for the Army side but also win accolades for the country," Naravane told reporters.
Seven army personnel have qualified for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which two in wrestling, two in athletics, and one each in archery and Paralympics.
Army chief Naravane said that seven army personnel have qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the army is hopeful that two to three more sportsperson will qualify for the Tokyo Olympics as trials for boxing, rowing and yachting are still underway.
" As far as Tokyo Olympics are concerned, seven of our Indian army personnel have already qualified, two in wrestling, two in athletics, one in archery and one in Paralympics and the trials are still underway for boxing, rowing, and yachting. We are very hopeful that two-three more people will able to qualify in that, so from the army side we will definitely be fielding at least a dozen or so players in the Tokyo Olympics and we are very hopeful for their medal prospects," he said.
He said that sports are an integral part of the army and the army is at the forefront of promoting sports.
"We have been always at the forefront of promoting sports. Sports are an integral part of the army and army training, we encourage everyone to take part and through the various events that we have, we are able to identify talent which can perform well even at the highest levels," he added.
The Tokyo 2020 Olympics will take place from July 24 to August 9.
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