BIHAR SPECIAL
DEVELOPING SPORTS CULTURE IN BIHAR IN RECENT TIMES
Bihar, renowned for its rich cultural heritage, is now making significant strides in the realm of sports.
The Bihar Sports Department has completed its first year, during which it has built a solid foundation
to support, promote, and empower the state’s talented athletes.
Bihar’s new ambitious sports policy is built on four key pillars: scout-
ing talent, nurturing it, retaining athletes, and promoting sports across the
state.
Achievement of Bihar in Sports:
● World Ability Youth Games: Goldie Kumari from Nalanda won two
medals at the 2024 World Ability Youth Games in Thailand, securing a
gold in discus throw and a bronze in javelin throw, and was selected
for the Prime Minister’s National Child Award 2024.
● Karate U17 Championship: Bihar’s athletes performed exceptionally
well at the 68th School Games Karate U17 Championship in New
Delhi, winning gold and bronze medals in December 2024.
● Rugby: The Bihar Rugby teams achieved significant success in January
2025 at the 68th National School Games held in Pataliputra.
● Carving Niche: Similar to Haryana’s dominance in wrestling and
Jharkhand’s strength in hockey, Bihar is carving its own path by fo-
cusing on less conventional sports like rugby and sepak takraw.
» The state is adopting a fresh approach to sports development,
investing in emerging disciplines to create new areas of strength.
Challenges in Developing Sports:
● Lack of Infrastructure: Senior players and athletes in Bihar generally
lack the infrastructure to compete at national and international levels
in mainstream sports like football, hockey, athletics, volleyball, bas-
ketball, swimming, and badminton.
» Athletes from Bihar who win medals typically excel at sub-junior
or junior levels or in newly introduced sports.
● Overcrowd: The Sports Complexes in Bihar face overcrowding, with
several sports sharing “paid” facilities.
» This leads to safety risks, particularly for events like javelin and
hammer throw, where athletes need dedicated space.
● Lack of Grounds: Over 54,000 government schools, including more
than 2,800 in Patna district, lack playgrounds, limiting opportunities
for physical activity and sports development.
● Delay in Completion: Certain cricket stadiums, like the Moinul Haq
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Stadium in Patna, remain neglected despite repeated commitments for
renovation.
» The construction of a new international-standard cricket stadium
in Rajgir has faced significant delays since 2018.
● Lack of Sports Institutions: The Govt College of Health & Physical
Education in Patna has been closed since 2003, leading to neglect of its
facilities.
● Redtapeism: Bihar State Sports Authority faces the challenge of unit-
ing departmental leadership under new bylaws to overcome bureau-
cratic conflicts.
● Lack of Trainers: There has been a lack of appointed coaches in the
state since 2007, with the few recruited NIS coaches assigned to office
duties instead of training athletes.
Measures Taken by Government:
● ‘Khelo India’ programme: The state government is hiring senior ath-
letes on an 11-month contract with a monthly payment of Rs 25,000,
which will be funded by the Centre under its ‘Khelo India’ programme.
● Increasing Budget: The Bihar State Sports Authority’s (BSSA) budget
has increased significantly from Rs 30 crore in 2022 to Rs 680 crore in
2024, reflecting a major investment in sports development.
● Sports Department: A new standalone Sports Department has been
established, separating it from the Arts and Culture Department to
enhance focus on infrastructure and athlete-focused initiatives.
● Khel Gaon: The Bihar government decided to establish a ‘khel gaon’
in each of the nine divisions in the state to cater to sports such as crick-
et, football, and hockey.
● Creation of Infrastructure: The Bihar government has decided to con-
struct 6,500 playing fields simultaneously, with a target of establish-
ing approximately 5,000 by November 2025.
» The Bihar government is also building world-class sports
infrastructure, with sports complexes under construction at
divisional headquarters and outdoor stadiums at the block
level.
» The state is also working on establishing sports clubs in every
village and urban area to promote sports at the grassroots level.
● Recognition as a University: The recognition of the sports academy
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in Rajgir, as a university by the Government of India is a key step in
advancing sports development in Bihar.
● Recruiting Sports Trainers: The recruitment process for 582 sports
trainers has commenced, providing an additional boost to the sporting
community in Bihar.
● Medaal Lao, Naukri Pao Yojana: The “Medaal Lao, Naukri Pao Yo-
jana” awards government jobs to athletes who have earned national
and international medals.
● Mashal 2024: The “Mashal 2024” campaign has been launched to iden-
tify and nurture sporting talent across Bihar.
» The initiative aims to discover talent among 60 lakh students
from middle and high schools in the state.
» The competition will focus on five sports disciplines, with
promising athletes receiving nutritional support and advanced
training to become future champions.
● Hosting Events: With Bihar set to host the Women’s Kabaddi World
Cup, Khelo India Games, Under-20 Rugby Sevens Asian Champion-
ship, and the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup this year, these events will pro-
vide a significant boost to the sports culture in the state.
Bihar is set to transform its sporting landscape with ambition, strategic
planning, and community support, aiming for Olympic success and becom-
ing a formidable contender.
Model Question: Examine the growing sports culture in Bihar and discuss
steps taken by the government to promote and nurture the sports culture
in the state.
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PERFECTION
IAS
PERFECTION IAS
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03 March
Bazarsamiti Centre:
Rainbow Building, Rampur Road, Bazar Samati, Patna
