Generations of Goans have grown up on a diet of football and the creative arts as much as their xit, koddi. If children were not pushed out into the fields to play football, attending a music class was a staple in a Goan family.
Over the years, Goans excelled on and off the field, on the main stage of theatre, concerts, and even the movies. It’s no surprise that 2023 saw an impressive sporting year for Goa, with 92 medals at the recently concluded National Games and 111 at the Para Summer Olympics.
Given the state’s conducive environment to nurture creativity, Goa as the permanent venue for the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) feels like home. Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting Anurag Thakur credits former chief minister Late Manohar Parrikar’s vision to script a new chapter for his home state while praising Dr Pramod Sawant for leading from the front.
Thakur explains why Goa is the ideal choice as the host state with its picturesque beauty coupled with rich culture. Also holding the important portfolios of Youth Affairs and Sports, he delves at length into the government’s initiatives to push the envelope for the development of sports and thrust to strengthen the talent at the grassroots. He elaborates on the success of various schemes initiated to build a strong sporting country that delivers medals at major sporting events. The Khelo India scheme is a prime example of the government working from the ground up to create future champions with their eyes set on the Olympics.
With Goa, being the host of two important events this year, IFFI and the National Games, both connected to the ministries under Thakur, VIVA GOA spoke to the Union minister about the prime minister’s announcement on India’s bid for the 2036 Olympics and various subjects connected to films and sports.
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