Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Raksha Khadse, highlighted the importance of increasing women’s participation in sports to enhance India’s performance at the Summer Olympic Games and other multi-disciplinary events. This statement was made during the launch of the nationwide athletics league at 250 locations as part of the ASMITA (Achieving Sports Milestone by Inspiring Women Through Action) program in Aurangabad.
Khadse inaugurated various leagues including yoga, wushu, kickboxing, and weightlifting under the ASMITA initiative. The event also included a cyclothon and walkathon organized by the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence in collaboration with other organizations to promote fitness, sports participation, and women empowerment.
ASMITA, initiated in 2021 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to identify talent from grassroots levels, including rural and school backgrounds. By increasing women’s participation in sports, the talent pool expands, leading to improved competition and ultimately enhancing India’s medal count in international competitions like the Olympics.
The ASMITA League has seen significant participation, with nearly 3 lakh women across 33 disciplines in 2600 leagues. Looking ahead, around 1.59 lakh women have already taken part in 1287 leagues for the upcoming years. The ASMITA athletics league, held on International Women’s Day, featured various race classes for girls of different age groups across the country, with a total of 2 lakh girls participating in the event.
