Former BCCI president Anurag Thakur on Tuesday announced setting up of a cricket and sports academy in Leh to ensure that talented athletes get the required training to become a part of the mainstream.
Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Thakur is the first minister to visit Khardung La Pass and hoist the national flag post article 370 abrogation.
"I come from the land that has been credited of producing some of the finest athletes. For years I have executed efforts to ensure that athletes from the region get a fair platform to showcase themselves. I am glad to share that there has been exceptional progress in this aspect and time and again owing to various initiatives undertaken in the area, a host of athletes have benefited be it through HPCA Stadium Dharamshala or events like Khel Mahakumbh. I firmly believe sports help in building character and thus I propose to set up a Cricket and Sports academy in Leh to ensure that youth of the region gets equal opportunity and a platform to excel," said Thakur.
He also marked the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi by conducting a Swachta Abhiyan at 18,000 feet with the Indian Army.
"To face the challenge of climate change and make the environment eco-friendly we must become conscious and work together towards eliminating single use plastic goods. I would like to thank and congratulate people of Leh for taking a strong stand in this movement by replacing plastic bottles with glass bottles with a message on them that reads ‘Refuse, Reduce and Reuse’. I am certain that we will take this message across the length and breadth of the country and support Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi ji’s mission of a plastic-free India," he further added.
Photograph: Reuben NV/Rediff.com
