Uttar Pradesh Sports Secretary and two-time Paralympic medallist Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj on Saturday outlined the State’s ambitious grassroots development programme at PlayCom 2025: Business of Sports Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi.
“One of the biggest challenges for sports administrators today is to take children away from screens and bring them back to the playing fields,” said Yathiraj, stressing the need for a broad-based approach that combines infrastructure, athlete support, sports education, and public-private partnerships.
Highlighting Uttar Pradesh’s roadmap, he said the State has embarked on a massive push to decentralise facilities. “Under the leadership of our Chief Minister, a policy decision has been taken to build a mini stadium in every developmental block. Uttar Pradesh has 826 such blocks, and each will have its own facility,” he said.
The plan goes beyond district and State hubs. At the panchayat level, every village will have a designated playground, with district collectors tasked to convert available government land into playfields. “Talent identification and providing quality infrastructure at the grassroots remain our biggest challenges. That is why we are standardising our mini-stadium model with specifications for volleyball courts, tennis courts, and wrestling mats,” he noted.
The efforts, Yathiraj argued, are already yielding dividends. “At the last Asian Games in Hangzhou, nearly 25 per cent of the medallists from India were from Uttar Pradesh. Such progress demonstrates that sports reforms and revolutions do not happen overnight, but through structured efforts.”
On athlete support, he pointed to the Eklavya Krida Kosh, which provides up to ₹5 lakh in cover for athletes. UP’s Sports Schools initiative, combining academics with professional training, currently runs three institutions, with three more set to open next year.
Yathiraj emphasised the role of the private sector, noting collaborations in high-performance centres and stadium development. The BCCI is building a new stadium in Varanasi, while Gorakhpur will host another.
“High performance is not easy to achieve — sport has become highly technical, demanding scientific support and world-class facilities. As a State, we are committed to providing that support,” he said.
Calling for a shift in perception, Yathiraj underlined: “We must recognise fitness as a social need. Sport is not just a profession but a way of life.”
Closing on a personal note, he thanked The Hindu and Sportstar for shaping his early love for sport. “I still remember collecting pictures of Tendulkar and Kapil Dev from Sportstar in my school days. To be here today at a Sportstar symposium feels like coming full circle.”
Published on Sep 13, 2025
