The Tripura government on Saturday, felicitated state sports persons Olympian gymnast Dipa Karmakar and former lawn tennis player Somedev Kishore Devvarman , national women’s football team goalkeeper Laxmita Reang and Dronacharya awardee Bisweswar Nandi in Agartala.
The purpose of this felicitation was to encourage sports which will help to keep the state fit.
Tripura Sports Council organized the felicitation where CM Biplab Kumar Dev, Deputy CM Jishnu Dev Barman and Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Manoj Kanti Deb presented mementos and trophies to the sports persons.
The CM said if the youths of Tripura take the fitness challenge campaign as the Prime Minister wants then the state will also be healthy and fit.
“All the youths should stay fit. If all youths do push-ups they will become healthy and Tripura will become healthy too … Automatically Tripura will develop 56-inch chest and follow the direction of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ for development,” Deb said apparently alluding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Deb asked the state’s Sports Minister to include sports persons in annual sports events and other programmes to encourage budding talents.
“Development doesn’t mean only industries. It also means developing sports. One has to be an all-rounder (to perform well),” the chief minister said at the programme where ace gymnast Dipa Karmakar, tennis star Somdev Dev Varman, national women’s football team goalkeeper Laxmita Reang and Dronacharya awardee and gymnast Bisweswar Nandi were felicitated.
Deb said his government would work to further develop sports infrastructure in Tripura and called for Khelo Tripura, Sustho Thako Tripura (Play Tripura, Stay Healthy Tripura).
Meantime Dipa Karmakar said that she has recovered after a surgery and is fit and she hopes to get laurels for the nation.