Centre to replicate Bihar’s rural sports infra model: Minister

Patna: Union minister of state for youth affairs and sports Raksha Khadse on Sunday praised the Bihar govt’s initiative to develop mini stadiums and playgrounds in rural areas through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), now replaced by the VB-G RAM G Act 2025, and said the Centre has decided to replicate the model across the country.

Addressing an event organised by the Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA) and the state’s sports department in the state capital, Khadse said, “Bihar government has developed mini stadiums and playgrounds in rural areas through MGNREGA scheme… The idea that you put up at the sports initiative held at Hyderabad was appreciated… Now the Union govt has come out with VB-G RAM G scheme in this year’s Budget and the same idea will be implemented across the country.”




She said the Centre has been taking every possible step to improve the sporting environment, especially infrastructure, in all states, even though sports is a state subject. Khadse also said people in Bihar are deeply passionate about sports and stressed the need to make children aware of sports science from their school days. She added that the Centre has been working to make sports compulsory from school to college level.

Referring to upcoming international events, Khadse said the Commonwealth Games 2028 will be organised in India, while the World Athletics Championship will be held in Odisha. She said hosting more international sporting events would help athletes prepare to compete at international standards and would further strengthen the sports ecosystem and infrastructure.

At the event, Bihar sports minister Shreyasi Singh, who won a gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2018, urged the Union minister to give Bihar the opportunity to host one or two events if India gets to host the 2036 Olympics. She also said the state should be given a chance to host one sporting event as India has won the bid to host the Commonwealth Games in 2028.

BSSA director general-cum-chief executive officer and senior IPS officer Raveendran Sankaran said, “Bihar does not merely write history, it rather creates history.” He said discussions are now taking place about hosting the Olympic Games in Bihar and noted that for 15 years the office of the Indian Olympic Association was located in Bihar, with JRD Tata as president and Moin-ul Haque as secretary general. He also mentioned Bihar athlete Shivnath Singh, who qualified for the 1968 Olympics in track and field. State sports department secretary Mahendra Kumar also attended the event.