Mandi: Former Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur formally inaugurated the district level Under-19 Student Inter-Zonal Sports Competition of Government Schools held in his home area Balichowki on Saturday and addressed and guided the players. 640 students from 18 zones are participating in this competition. Jai Ram Thakur stressed the need for continuous efforts to bring out the hidden sports and art talents of remote areas.
He said that in today’s competitive world, one cannot progress through routine means; instead, one must work hard to face challenges boldly. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s popular program “Mann Ki Baat,” he said that the Prime Minister constantly discovers hidden talents from every corner of the country and brings them to the world’s attention, which is extremely inspiring for society and the young generation. He specifically mentioned Parishthi Thakur, a daughter of the Thachi region, who is representing India at the Youth Leadership Program in Russia, calling it a matter of pride for the entire state. He also praised the melodious singing of Jeevana Thakur, a talented student of Balichowki School, and shared an experience from his tenure as Chief Minister, describing how, at Prime Minister Modi’s request, he congratulated Vedika, a daughter of Kerala, for singing the famous Himachali folk song “My Nee Meriye.”
Jai Ram Thakur said that along with studies, sports are also an important part of life because a healthy mind resides in a healthy body. He urged everyone to accept victory and defeat with a sporting spirit and to move forward with hard work. Discussing the development of the area, he said that most of the buildings visible in Balichowki were constructed during his tenure, but the current government is locking the already constructed hospital building, depriving the public of facilities. He assured that times will soon change and stalled development work in the area will be revived. On this occasion, he announced a grant of ₹51,000 from his MLA discretionary fund to the sports organizing committee. District Council Vice President Bodi Devi, Principal Ranveer Thakur, BJP Mandal President Mukesh Kumar, and several public representatives and local residents were present at the event.
