National Games closing ceremony: India ready to host 2036 Olympics, asserts Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah attends the closing ceremony of the 38th National Games in Haldwani. Photo: X/@mansukhmandviya

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday attended the closing ceremony of the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand’s Haldwani. He praised the Pushkar Singh Dhami government for the successful organisation of the National Games and lauded his leadership.

The 38th National Games was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 28, 2025.

In his address, Mr. Shah said “Dev Bhoomi (Uttarkhand)” has now become a “Khel Bhoomi” and moved up from 21st to 7th place in terms of sports infrastructure, owing to the efforts of Mr. Dhami. Also congratulating the organising committee, Mr. Shah noted that about 16,000 athletes participated in close to 435 competitions during the event. He said the next National Games would be held in Meghalaya, during which some events would be organised in other northeastern States as well.

Mr. Shah said due to the Prime Minister’s initiatives, there has been a significant change in the sports environment in the country. Through campaigns like Fit India and Khelo India, the country has inspired every youth to engage in sports. After Mr. Modi became the Prime Minister, sports Budget has gone up from ₹800 crore to ₹3,800 crore now. Performance of Indian athletes has also improved drastically, he said.

The Chief Minister presented medals to the winners. Uttarakhand won 102 medals, including 24 gold. It has secured the seventh place, compared to the 25th place the previous year.

During the closing ceremony, Mr. Dhami elaborated on the steps being taken by the State government to develop sports infrastructure, including new stadiums, academies and international-standard facilities. He said several schemes would be introduced to promote sports. In Uttarakhand, the measures would also create sports-related employment opportunities.

He said coaching, training, and high-quality competition opportunities were being made available to athletes, helping them improve their performance at the national and international levels; and that all possible steps were being taken to develop sports in order to make the State one of the country’s major sports hubs.

The event utilised materials made from recycled e-waste, such as medals, trophies, mementos, shawls, and caps, conveying a message of recycling and sustainability.