Mission excellence: Rs 4.39 crore aid to 77 sportspersons 

NEW DELHI:  Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal felicitated 77 top-level performing sportspersons on Thursday under the ‘Mission Excellence Scheme’ that provides financial assistance to players for training. The CM and his deputy Manish Sisodia provided financial assistance of Rs 4.39 crore to 77 players from Delhi. 

“This scheme is not just for the people of Delhi, but for the entire country. Because when these sports people win laurels globally, not just Delhi but the whole nation will feel proud and celebrate them,” Kejriwal said. Our dream is that India should bring more medals than China in international games. We have made several plans, including building a Delhi Sports University, to fulfil this dream,” he said.

During a ceremony held at Delhi Secretariat, Sisodia informed the players about the scheme and said a “Committee of Experts” was set up that selected the players. The panel included noted sportspersons like Karnam Malleswari, Akhil Kumar, Manisha Malhotra, Gagan Narang and Ronjan Sodhi. 

“When a player wins a medal in our country, a lot of people stand with that player. But when the player is struggling in his journey to achieve those medals, not just financially but also emotionally, he is often alone. We want to change that,” Kejriwal said. 

“In India, there is a notion that playing sports means one is wasting their time, time that could be spent on studying, and excelling in academics. Because of this belief system, the dynamic field of sports does not receive the support it rightly deserves. Despite this, players like you, overcome your struggle and reach massive heights of success,” he said while praising the determination of the players.