New Delhi: Responding to the clarion call by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the occasion of ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’ earlier this year, India’s Olympians and Paralympians are set to interact with school children.
The star athletes will give talks on the topics of SantulitAahaar (Balanced Diet), Fitness and Sports to empower future champions of India through a unique campaign. Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Neeraj Chopra will initiate this campaign on his visit with school children from across Gujarat at Sanskardham School in Ahmedabad on Saturday.
The upcoming visit and interaction by Neeraj was announced by the Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday.
“PM Shri Narendra Modi ji gave a clarion call to our Olympians and Paralympians to visit schools and interact with students on the importance of ‘SantulitAahaar’, fitness, sports and more. Starting December 4th, Neeraj Chopra will be at Shanskardham School in Ahmedabad to launch this mission,” Anurah Thakur tweeted.
Speaking about the mission, Neeraj said, “I am extremely happy and excited to be part of this unique initiative envisioned by the PM Shri Narendra Modi. This initiative will accelerate the momentum towards creating a sports culture based on fitness, better nutritional intake and greater awareness about physical activities in our daily lives.
“As athletes we can play a huge role in motivating youngsters to lead a healthier life. I look forward to my interaction with students of Sanskardham School on Saturday,” he added.
Neeraj will talk to the students about ‘SantulitAahaar’, which lays emphasis on the importance of a balanced diet, nutrition, fitness and sports. He will also be taking questions from the school children and participate in fitness and sports activities with them.
Tarundeep Rai (Archery), Sarthak Bhambhri (Athletics), Sushila Devi (Judo), KC Ganapaty and Varun Thakkar (Sailing) will be visiting schools in other parts of the country in the coming two months.
Among the Paralympians, Avani Lekhara (Para Shooting), Bhavina Patel (Para Table Tennis) and Devendra Jhajharia (Para-Athletics) will be joining them in this mission.
According to PIB, the special campaign, jointly being organized by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, will see our heroes from Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, visit as many schools across the country as possible, in a span of two years.
The athletes will share their own experiences, life lessons, tips on how to be the next great sportsperson and also give an overall inspirational boost to the school children.