Khelo India Mission: Indian Army distributes sports items to youth in 19 villages of Arunachal Pradesh

What's the story?

In a bid to promote the growth of grassroots-level sports under the Khelo India mission, the Indian Army distributed sports goods to the youth in 19 villages across the Tirap District of Arunachal Pradesh.

The background

The Khelo India mission of the government has been a game-changer for the grassroots development of sports. Three successful editions of Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG), formerly Khelo India School Games (KISG), have already been conducted for school and under-21 college students.

The inaugural edition of the Khelo India University Games, that recently concluded at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, was also highly successful. The Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju recently inaugurated the first-ever Khelo India Winter Games as well.

The heart of the matter

In another noble initiative, the Indian Army distributed various sports items to youth across Arunachal Pradesh in a bid to inculcate a love for sports and also nurture the local talent. The goods were received by the Gaon Burahs of the respective villages.

For the uninitiated, in Arunachal Pradesh, the Gaon Burahs are the most important village level functionaries. They are responsible for the law and order as well as the development of the village. A Gaon Burah is the representative of the government in the village.

The children of all 19 villages across Tirap District were elated after receiving the sports items.

The elderly of the village as well as the young sportspersons expressed their gratitude and appreciated the Indian Army for such a wonderful gesture.

What's next?

The brilliant gesture by the Indian Army will certainly help in nurturing the budding talent in the region. It will be interesting to see if more such distribution drives are conducted.