Arjuna winner stresses upon sports culture

Ghaziabad: To promote sports literacy in the country ahead of Tokyo Olympics, a Ghaziabad-based NGO, Sports-A Way Of Life, organised an event in the city on Friday. It was attended by Arjuna awardee Zafar Iqbal and former sportspersons from various fields who stressed on the need of inculcating sports culture in the younger generations.
A sports literacy awareness van was also flagged off from Ghaziabad that will tour the entire country creating awareness about the importance of sports in everyday life.
Kanishka Pandey, president of the NGO, said, “In a country of 1.3 billion, only 5% know about sports and this is a major stumbling block for India not faring well in international events. This must change, and our NGO Sports-A Way has taken a lead in this direction.”
Sport literacy is defined as the capacity to put sport skills and knowledge to functional use for informed and engaged citizenship.
Hockey legend Iqbal who was part of the winning contingent in 1980 Moscow Olympics in which India clinched gold was also present on the occasion. Lauding the efforts of the NGO, he said, “It is time India makes a mark on the international stage which of late is happening, but it needs a push.”