New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today inaugurated a synthetic athletics track worth Rs 5 crore at a sports complex in East Vinod Nagar here.
“Sports should become a way of life and culture in the national capital,” he told reporters, adding the track would go a long way in grooming athletes.
The AAP supremo urged the people of the area to use the track every morning and evening.
“This track costs Rs 5 crore. But I think 5 crore is nothing. If people use it even for five days and use the facilities to keep themselves fit and healthy, it means we have recovered Rs 5 crore,” Kejriwal said.
“This track is of world class quality. It is second track of its kind in the city after the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium,” he said.
The chief minister said the Delhi government was going to implement a new policy under which training, travelling and other expenses of players, who have represented the country at national or international level, would be fully borne by the government.
He said the policy will benefit the youths of rural areas as well.
“At present, these youths cannot do much due to a dearth of resources. With this policy, they will benefit a lot,” he said.
The AAP leader said school students interested in sports would also be groomed.
“We are looking for spaces in Delhi to build sports infrastructure. This synthetic athletics track at the sports complex in East Vinod Nagar will be upgraded more.
“We will soon issue an order that ‘Gaon Sabha’ land be made free for children to play. The government was in possession of the land so far, but we will direct to make it free. It is people’s land, not government’s,” Kejriwal said.
He said sports facilities were also being built in rural areas.
The officials added that the synthetic track will protect the space from becoming muddy in monsoon. They said most of the sports complexes in the city fail to hold athletic events during monsoon due to the bad condition of tracks.
PTI