The first day of the Tokyo Olympics was historic for India. It was great to see Indian woman weightlifter Mirabai Chanu win the silver medal for the country. It shows that Indian women are proving their mettle in their respective fields, more so at the global level.

We have to praise the Indian Sports Ministry because they have taken keen interest in promoting sports all across the country. The government initiative of Khelo India is really a boon for sports enthusiasts, as due to the initiative rural sports talent is being given a boost, thereby allowing boys and girls to come out and prove their sports capabilities.

Chanu is a fine example of this initiative because she comes from a rural background. Actually nowadays rural players take big interest in sports and set a benchmark for others to follow. But still there is a need for more youngsters from rural and urban centres to get into the field of sports and select it as a career.

The Ministry of Sports should now consider opening sports universities in all Indian cities and set up sports facilities at district level to help sports lovers get the basic education in sports. The future is looking very bright for Indian sportspersons and in the days to come Indians can dominate not only at the national level but also at the international level.

Syed Nissar
Hyderabad, India