Union minister of state for sports and youth affairs Kiren Rijiju has said that accredited coachesand players in India can now avail sports facilities offered by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) for free.
This will allow players to train better in their respective games and also help in promoting different sports in the country.
The minister also expressed satisfaction with the improvement taking place in the field of hockey in India.
The Indian men’s and women’s teams have qualified for the Olympic Games to be held in Tokyo in Japan from July 23 to August 8.
“Indian Hockey is climbing back to where it once belonged! Both Men’s & Women’s teams have qualified for the Tokyo Olympics. I spent some moments with young players at Dhyan Chand Stadium. We have decided to provide SAI sports facilities free of cost to accredited coaches & players!” Kiren Rijiju tweeted.
Indian Hockey is climbing back to where it once belonged! Both Men’s & Women’s Team have qualified for the Tokyo Olympic. I spent some moment with young players at Dhyan Chand Stadium. We have decided to provide SAI sports facilities free of cost to accredited coaches & players! pic.twitter.com/U4wBW0dZ7I
— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) April 1, 2021
Also read: Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju reviews India’s preparedness for Tokyo Olympics
The Indian men’s hockey team had qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by defeating Russia in the second game of the two-legged Men’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers held in November 2019 in Bhubaneswar in Orissa.
The Indian women’s team too qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by defeating United States at the Women’s FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers that was also held in November 2019 in Bhubaneswar.
While the men’s team ranks fourth in the world hockey rankings, the women’s team holds the ninth rank at present.