Reiterating his administration’s commitment to sports promotion and women’s empowerment, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the state is actively executing direct recruitment of international and national medal winners into government departments under the flagship ‘Padak Lao, Pad Pao’ (Bring Medals, Secure a Post) scheme. Extending greetings to the people of the state on the Shashti tithi of Sharadiya Navratri, the Chief Minister invoked Maa Katyayani as the ultimate embodiment of courage, resolve, and unyielding strength. Emphasizing that Uttar Pradesh has fundamentally transformed its sporting landscape over the past nine and a half years, Adityanath noted that medalists are no longer left struggling for livelihoods, but are instead being directly integrated into elite administrative, police, and sports service cadres across the state government.

Breaking Free from the Pre-2017 Shadow of Mafia Control

Contrasting the current sporting environment with the scenario prevailing before 2017, the Chief Minister launched a scathing critique of previous regimes, stating that an atmosphere of fear and anarchy earlier suppressed the aspirations of young talent. He noted that prior to his government taking office, rural playgrounds were encroached upon by local land mafias, basic equipment was non-existent, and young female athletes faced systemic social restrictions with their dreams confined within four walls. The absence of government patronage and infrastructure forced promising athletes to abandon their disciplines prematurely. Adityanath underlined that his administration dismantled these barriers by reclaiming public grounds, purging criminal interference from sports councils, and replacing systemic indifference with active administrative sponsorship.

Building Modern Sports Infrastructure from Meerut to Grassroots Blocks

Highlighting the concrete infrastructure built to support the policy, Chief Minister Adityanath detailed the systematic progression of sports facilities across all seventy-five districts of Uttar Pradesh. The state government has invested heavily in creating open sports fields in gram panchayats, mini-stadiums at the block level, modern athletic tracks and indoor complexes at district headquarters, and specialized sports colleges across administrative divisions. A cornerstone of this expansion is the establishment of the state’s first dedicated sports institution, the Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut, designed to provide world-class scientific training, sports medicine, biomechanics laboratories, and advanced coaching to prepare athletes for global podium finishes.

Multimillion-Rupee Rewards and Honoring Champions

Under the ‘Padak Lao, Pad Pao’ framework, the state provides cash rewards running into lakhs and crores alongside direct gazetted and non-gazetted government jobs for podium winners in the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asian Games. The Chief Minister singled out the achievements of female sports icons from Uttar Pradesh who brought laurels to the country, including Asian Games gold medalist Parul Chaudhary, Olympian race walker Priyanka Goswami, track athletes Prachi Chaudhary and Annu Rani, international judoka Asmita Dey, national cricketers Deepti Sharma and Meghna Singh, veteran hockey striker Vandana Katariya, and freestyle wrestler Divya Kakran. Adityanath affirmed that when women are educated, healthy, and economically empowered through meaningful public careers, the state’s present remains secure and its future prosperous.