The Government is Efforts to Produce International-Level Athletes from the Tribal Community – CM Fadnavis

Efforts of the State Government to Bring Tribal Students into the Mainstream The State Government Firmly Supports All Initiatives for Tribal Welfare

Nagpur : Tribal people naturally have sporting talent. With a competitive environment, technical proficiency, and skill development, both the central and state governments are working to develop international-level professional athletes. Efforts are also being made by the state government to accelerate the empowerment of tribal boys and girls to enter the mainstream. The state government is strongly backing all the innovative initiatives for the welfare of the tribal community, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis here today.

The Chief Minister was speaking at the closing ceremony and prize distribution of the three-day state-level sports competition organized by the Tribal Development Department at the Police Headquarters ground. Tribal Development Minister Dr. Ashok Uike, Secretary of the Department Vijay Waghmare, Additional Commissioner of Tribal Development Nagpur Ravindra Thakre, and others were present.

Chief Minister Fadnavis stated that in the past few years, athletes from the tribal community have shown excellent performances in archery, athletics, and indigenous games, which is visible across the country. Tribal people naturally possess various sporting talents, and to nurture these talents with a competitive environment, technical skills, and well-planned training, the central and state governments have launched various schemes. This will lead to the creation of international-level professional athletes from this community in the near future.

The Chief Minister further mentioned that special efforts are underway through the Tribal Department and Ashram Schools. He emphasized that the state government has expanded the scheme of renowned schools for tribal children, ensuring that they have access to quality education in good schools. Through the “Swyam” scheme, efforts are underway to ensure that tribal students who are unable to secure hostel admissions do not have to drop out of education. The state government has provided various opportunities for tribals, who are the protectors of nature, to integrate into the mainstream of society. The power to enable tribal boys and girls to enter the mainstream is being created, and the state government will work to accelerate this process. The state government is firmly supporting the Tribal Department in implementing innovative welfare initiatives, he added.

Nashik Division First, Nagpur Runner-Up, Honored by the Chief Minister Various individual and team sports competitions were held from January 3 to 5, 2025, across the Thane, Nashik, Amravati, and Nagpur divisions of the state. Nashik Division secured the first position with 475 points, Nagpur Division came second with 454 points, and Thane Division bagged the third position with 281 points. These three teams were awarded prizes by Chief Minister Fadnavis during the ceremony. A total of 974 boys and 900 girls participated in the competition. The remaining prizes were distributed by Tribal Development Minister Dr. Ashok Uike and Minister of State for Finance and Planning, Adv. Ashish Jayswal.

Earlier, Chief Minister Fadnavis felicitated several individuals for their remarkable work in various fields, including Shivansh Asaram, who has memorized 75 Articles of the Constitution, Zero Mile Icon Supriya Kumar, Suresh Pujari, and Swapnil Masram. Students from the government Ashram Schools in the Nagpur Division, under the ‘Brighter Mind’ initiative, presented activities such as identifying colors with eyes closed, reading books, and recognizing photos on mobile phones. Students from Ursula School performed tribal dance. Secretary of the Tribal Department Vijay Waghmare gave the introductory speech.