Raipur. On the occasion of National Sports Day and the birth anniversary of hockey wizard Major Dhyanchand, Chief Minister Vishnudev Sai made several important announcements for the players of the state and honored 126 outstanding players and coaches at the State Sports Awards Ceremony. Along with this, prizes and incentives worth a total of Rs 1 crore 74 lakh 19 thousand were given to 666 players and coaches. The Chief Minister said that it is the top priority of the state government to take the sports talents of Chhattisgarh to the national and international stage.

At a ceremony held at the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Auditorium in Raipur, the Chief Minister stated that the achievements of the state's athletes are not merely individual successes, but the pride of Chhattisgarh as a whole. He added that to encourage outstanding athletes, a list of 156 athletes has been released, opening the way for them to be appointed to government service, which will further strengthen the youth's confidence in pursuing sports as a career.

The Chief Minister stated that the government is working on five missions for the all-round development of sports. A budget provision of ₹100 crore has been made for the Chief Minister's Sports Excellence Mission. Modern sports complexes are being developed in Raipur, Raigarh, and Kunkuri. A world-class archery academy is being developed in Nava Raipur at a cost of approximately ₹67 crore, and an archery training center is being developed in Pandarapat at a cost of approximately ₹18 crore.

The Chief Minister said that tribal areas like Bastar and Surguja are teeming with sporting talent. The participation of 1.65 lakh youth in the first edition of the Bastar Olympics and 3.91 lakh in the second edition is a testament to the growing enthusiasm for sports in the state. Events like the Khelo India Tribal Games and Surguja Olympics have given rural and tribal talent the opportunity to reach the national stage.

Addressing the programme, Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister Arun Sao said that the geographical conditions of Chhattisgarh are favourable for various sports and the government is identifying talents and providing them better training and opportunities. Union Minister of State Tokhan Sahu said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a positive environment for sports has been created in the country, which is also benefiting the players of Chhattisgarh. MP Brijmohan Agrawal expressed confidence that in the coming years, the players of the state will bring laurels to Chhattisgarh by winning medals in the Olympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

Players and coaches were honored in various categories, including the Martyr Rajiv Pandey Award, Martyr Kaushal Yadav Award, Veer Hanuman Singh Award, Martyr Pankaj Vikram Samman, Martyr Vinod Choubey Samman, and the Chief Minister's Trophy for the years 2023-24, 2024-25, and 2025-26. A large number of players, coaches, sports association officials, public representatives, and dignitaries were present at the ceremony.