Deputy CM Manish Sisodia opens hockey astro turf at east Delhi govt school

NEW DELHI: Inaugurating the newly built hockey astro turf at Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalaya in east Delhi’s Ashok Nagar on Saturday, deputy CM Manish Sisodia hoped that players would make the country proud by showcasing their talent at international events and winning medals.
“If the players get an opportunity to play on this turf, which costs Rs 5.8 crore, I’ll consider the money recovered. But if no talent plays, or emerges from here, then it will all be in vain,” said Sisodia, adding that it was the responsibility of school and sports officials to ensure players were able to use the facilities on ground.
Hoping that the ground would not become victim of government regulations, the minister said, “The government is ready to be flexible and prioritise the players, who should also be disciplined to train and develop their talent,” he added.
Two more of these turfs are at Ghummanhera in southwest Delhi and Jhilmil in northeast Delhi. Additionally, four 400m racing tracks and world-class swimming pools have been built. “Due to these facilities, the performance of government schools in Delhi has significantly improved and so has the medal tally,” said Sisodia.
He also spoke of the sports university, which the government was building, and said, players who bring in medals would not have to worry about admissions. “We have started a scheme to help promising players, in which annual amount ranging from Rs 3.5 lakh-16 lakh will be given,” he said.
The sports branch of directorate of education has been working to promote grassroots sports. It has also been upgrading the sports infrastructure at schools to international standards