Gulmarg: Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday said India’s G-20 presidency reflects the country’s growing power on the world stage.
“The G-20 presidency will give fillip to the country’s image and economy. Fifty-five cities will host 200 meetings of the world’s 20 most powerful countries. This is the growing power of India,” Thakur said, addressing the inaugural function of the 3rd edition of Khelo India Winter Games here, 55 km from Srinagar.
More than 1,500 players from 29 states and Union territories of the country will take part in the five-day event, the sports minister said.
Thakur said sports not only was a unifying platform but also reflected the soft power of the country.
“Sports is a soft power. When a player wins an international medal, it unites the country. Gold medal by Neeraj Chopra ended India’s 121-year wait for athletics gold at the Olympics. This sparked celebrations across the country,” he said.
Thakur said that last year was big for Indian sports as athletes from various fields excelled in their respective games at international events.
“We had the highest medal tally at the Summer Olympics and paralympics. P V Sindhu won back to back Olympic medals in badminton, which is no mean feat,” he added.

KR Desk