PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
As announced earlier, the Sports minister Rekha Arya led a special 22-km Sankalp Kanwad Yatra from Haridwar to Rishikesh on Monday, vowing to make India a host for the 2036 Olympic Games and to establish the country as a sports superpower. Additionally, she announced on the occasion that Uttarakhand’s first Sports University would be inaugurated on the upcoming National Sports Day.
The yatra began at 7 AM from Har Ki Pauri, featuring rituals and the collection of Ganga water. Braving heavy rain, the pilgrims continued with their yatra, raising religious and patriotic chants.
Several saints, including Mahant Hari Giri and Mahant Ravindra Puri, participated in the march. Athletes, youth and citizens from across the country also took part. To facilitate the march, four major stops were set up every five km, where locals and sports enthusiasts welcomed the participants.
During the event, Arya emphasised that the Kanwad carrying Ganga water symbolises not just a journey, but also the aspirations of millions, the hard work of athletes and the dreams of the youth. While offering water at the feet of Lord Shiva, she prayed for India to host the 2036 Olympic Games and for the nation’s athletes to take the Indian tricolor on the world’s biggest sporting platform.
Arya highlighted that there is no shortage of sports talent in Uttarakhand. “What we need are better training, modern facilities, scientific training systems and high-level opportunities. The Sports University to be inaugurated on National Sports Day will be a significant step forward towards achieving these goals,” she said, adding that it would provide athletes with an enhanced environment for education, training and sports science-related facilities.
She stated that the commitment to host the 2036 Olympics is not just a pledge emanating from Delhi or a single city, but a dream shared by the entire nation. “Uttarakhand is also playing its role in this collective aspiration of the nation through this yarta with a commitment,” she declared.
