Development of state depends on sports: Hooda

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda today said that apart from education, sports were also essential for overall development of children.
"The development of any state or nation could be assessed from the performance of its players," he said here.
He said that though Haryana was comparatively a small state having just two per cent of the total population of the country, its players have brought laurels not only in national level meets but also in international level events.
"Today, Haryana is well known in the world for the exemplary performance exhibited by its players in Commonwealth Games and Olympics," he said.

The Haryana Government has been giving due honour to the outstanding players of the State by honouring them from time to time, he added.
Hooda said that to ensure a secure future to the players, the state government has implemented 'Padak Lao Pad Pao' (bring medal get post) scheme under its Sports Policy and jobs were being given to the outstanding players in various government departments.

He said that today Haryana was progressing fast in almost all spheres of development as compared to other states.
"It was the result of the progressive policies of the state government and hard work put in by the people of the state," he added.

The Chief Minister was speaking after unveiling the trophy of 2nd Rajiv Gandhi International under-17 Cricket Championship here.
The Championship is being organized by Cricket Federation of India at Cricket Stadium, Panchkula from October 2 to 6.
Six teams from Asia would participate in the 2nd International Junior League Cricket Championship. These are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Dubai (UAE), Malaysia, Pakistan and India.