Make excellence the habit: Sonowal

Budding talents should strive to achieve the best by making "excellence their habit" to turn India into a sporting power house, Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said today.
"Though India has taken a giant leap in the sports sector in recent years it still has a long way to traverse to reach the pinnacle of glory," he said inaugurating the SAI National Academy for Athletics (Centre for Sprints and Jumps) at nearby Karyavattom.
He asked all the young athletes to make excellence a habit.
"Excel in whatever you do. Excel in every sphere. Let excellence be your watchdog," he said.
Stating that the academy inaugurated here opened a new chapter in the history of athletics, he said it was a step forward in realising the aim of creating India as sports hub.

"While our ultimate objective is to enhance the sporting excellence across the length and breadth of the country, academies of this nature will definitely be a torch bearer to the new breed of athletes to traverse the roads that are less travelled in Indian sports," he said.

Hailing Kerala as the 'sports own country'-- a play on the expression "God's own country"--, he said the southern state had always played a crucial role in the sporting scenario of the country.
The minister also paid tribute to former India volleyball player Udayakumar, who died here last week.
Earlier, state sports minister Thrasher Radhakrishnan said Kerala had plans to set up a sports university and sought the Centre's support to the proposal.

A number of eminent sports persons and coaches were honoured during the function.