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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Governor calls for sports schools

Special Correspondent

He says both education and sports are important to the youth

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

DESERVING HONOUR: G. Madhavan Nair, Chairman, ISRO (right) and Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra (third from left), who were given the honorary Doctor of Science and honorary Doctor of Literature at the convocation of SRM University at Kattankulathur on Sunday. P. Sathyanarayanan, Vice-Chancellor (left); T.R. Pachamuthu, Chancellor; Governor Surjit Singh Barnala; and P. Ravi, Pro-Chancellor, are in the picture.

TAMBARAM: Governor Surjit Singh Barnala on Sunday stressed the need for starting sports schools.

“We are a nation with brainpower and manpower. We have to channelise the youth in the right direction,” he said, speaking at the fourth convocation of SRM University at Kattankulathur. Education and sports, he felt, were equally important to the youth.

Mr. Barnala said government-private partnership and creating opportunities for opening sports schools were the need of the hour. Turning to Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra, who was present on the occasion, Mr. Barnala said: “There are many Abhinav Bhindras in our country. We have to identify them, pick them up and train them. We lack exclusive sports schools.” The number of students who had gone in for higher education was just 10 per cent during 2006 – 2007, and it should be increased to 15 per cent by 2015.

G. Madhavan Nair, Secretary, Department of Space, and Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation, and Abhinav Bindra were conferred with the honorary Doctor of Science and Doctor of Literature respectively.

Mr. Nair said that with its diverse culture and geography, India faced several challenges and was confident that the youth would commit themselves to helping the nation deal with them. Educated youth were the biggest asset of any nation, he said more students must take to research and development.

More than three decades of research had helped India possess technologies which he said were equal to those used by any advanced nation. “We are building satellites and, above all, providing space-based services for the development of the nation,” he said.

Abhinav Bindra said that receiving the honorary doctorate was a great honour, and he would do everything possible to improve sports in India. The youth should take up at least one sport as a career, he said. “But I know that you are all studying to earn a degree and get a job. But at least take to sports to keep yourselves fit,” he said. “Jogging or walking a mile a day keeps the doctor several miles away.”

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