Future Olympians being groomed in Delhi's government schools: Manish Sisodia

New Delhi [India], September 18 (ANI): Former Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia on Wednesday lauded the city's government schools, stating that future Olympians are being groomed within them.
He made the remarks during the Zonal Athletic Meet in West Vinod Nagar.
Attending as the chief guest, the ex-Education Minister expressed satisfaction with the progress made in education during his absence, affirming that there is now no gap in performance between government and private school students. Mesmerising band performances by students further highlighted the event's success.
Addressing the young participants, Sisodia said, "Today, sports talents from government and private schools across the zone are present here. I do not refer to them as just sports talent; these are the players of future Olympics and Commonwealth Games. In the future, we will see some of these children on TV and say with pride that they were once with us in Zone 1, and today they are raising the country's flag at the Commonwealth Games, Olympics, Asian Games or National Games."

The former Education Minister added, "We will also be proud that these children once sat before us, and we witnessed their performances. Many of them will play at district, national, or international levels in the future."
Congratulating everyone on their future prospects, Sisodia said, "I am very happy to be here, witnessing the children's performances. I was away from my work in the field of education for about 1.5 years. I wondered how much this programme would have progressed during that time. Has the work I did in the last 10 years regressed? But after being among you, I see that it has not gone backwards; rather, it has progressed further."
He noted, "Two groups here are from private schools, but the majority are from government schools, which is a very good thing. We are not differentiating between government and private schools. However, for some reason, there used to be a gap between them. Today, I am delighted to see that when it comes to performance, you cannot tell the difference between students from government and private schools. It was almost unimaginable for government schools to have bands eight to ten years ago, but today, not only do we have bands in government schools, they are delivering outstanding performances."
Praising the students' march-past, Sisodia said, "I was amazed at how remarkable our government school students are. I salute all the teachers, facilitators, officers, and students for bridging the gap between government and private schools."
Sharing his vision with the students, Sisodia said, "I see you all as potential athletes. Reaching the zone level is a significant achievement. After the zone level, you will progress to district, national, and international levels. In the future, you will participate in the Asian Games and Olympic Games. Then, we will proudly say that this child is from our zone. Even today, when a child from any zone in Delhi reaches a high level, officials proudly say that this child is from our zone."
"Many of you are already making us feel this pride. In the coming time, many talented players will emerge from among you. I do not see sports merely at the school level because we are preparing Olympians here," affirmed the former Deputy Chief Minister.
Sisodia emphasised that sports education at the school level serves another important purpose. "I would like our teachers to encourage every child to participate in sports. We often make the mistake of only pushing those with good sports skills. However, I believe it is crucial for every child to engage in sports, whether they aspire to become an IAS or IPS officer, teacher, business owner, or software engineer."
"It is important for every child to participate in sports at school, not only because a champion may emerge, but also because, in the future, the country will benefit from having fit IAS, IPS officers, business people, or CEOs. At least, by the time they are 40-50 years old, they won't need to go to a gym to look after their knees," he added.
The former Education Minister also mentioned that if we nurture sports, good players will naturally emerge. "I can confidently say that among all the children in this zone, some will become champions in sports, while others will excel in business or politics. Some will become lawyers, some will become journalists. You will all be champions in your respective fields. But even there, your fitness will be the biggest obstacle to your success."
He concluded, "I am 50 years old now, so I speak from experience. Watching the performances of these young children, I feel that if I had participated in such activities during my childhood, I would not be complaining about knee pain today. I wouldn't need to do separate exercises to keep my knees healthy."
Sisodia remarked, "People often don't say this, but who among you will become a champion in sports, a job, or business depends on your hard work. However, after seeing your progress here, I can guarantee that each one of you will become a champion in life."
"As a social being, everywhere I go, I see gyms or fitness centres. Those who didn't focus on sports during their school years are the ones who need these gyms the most. That's why I believe sports authorities should not only focus on producing excellent sportspersons for the nation but also ensure that children who enter various professions remain fit and healthy," concluded the former Deputy CM. (ANI)