Railway Minister Inaugurates 79th Railway Athletics Championship 2013

The Minister of Railways Shri Mallikarjun Kharge inaugurated the 79th Railway Athletics Championship 2013 being organised by Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) in New Delhi today. Also present on the occasion were Chairman, Railway Board Shri Arunendra Kumar,Member staff and Member engineering and President, RSPB Shri Subodh Jain, Member Electrical Shri Kul Bhushan and senior Railway officials and staff.

Addressing the gathering on the occasion, Shri Kharge said that the Railway’s talented sports persons with their excellence performance at the International level have been bringing glory and laurels not only to the Indian Railways but to the nation as a whole. He said that Ministry of Railways is committed to the promotion of the sports and has been recruiting talented sport persons over the years and is always ready to provide all kinds of better facilities to Railway sports persons so that their performance is further improved in all national and international events.

Shri Kharge said that the renowned Railway sports persons like Sushil Kumar, P.T. Usha, M.D. Balsamma, sushmita Singh, Padmini, Krishna Punia etc. are the icons of aspirations for coming generations. With a galaxy of promising and outstanding sports persons on its roll since the inception of Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) in 1928, Indian Railways have always been striving hard to take up the new challenges through its human resource policy and bring laurels to the nation, the Minister added.

The Minister hoped that the participants will demonstrate best performance and set up new records. Shri Kharge also announced a cash award of Rs. 5 lakh to Shri Devendra Kumar Jhajharia (an employee Of South-East Central Railway) who got gold medal in the Javelin throw event at World Paralympic Championships held last month in Lyon, France.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chairman, Railway Board Shri Arunendra Kumar said that the Railway Minister Shri Kharge himself is a hockey player and his presence today at this athletic championship will inspire all railway sports persons in a big way. In his address, Shri Subodh Jain said that Indian Railways always believed that in addition to moving men and material across the country, it has to play a seminal role in the promotion and development of those activities which build the character of the nation. Thus, Indian Railways went into the serious business of promoting sports as early as in 1928 and now can boast of a big fleet of sports persons.

Olympians, National Sports Awardees and many more International Athletes of Indian Railways like Krishna Punia, Sudha Singh, Tintu Luka, Ranjeeth Maheswari, Joseph Abraham and Rajendra Kumar are also participating in this three day event which is being held in New Delhi from 5th August to 7th August 2013. A total number of 23 teams are participating in various athletics events.

AKS/HK/BS/DK