“Sportstar Conclave- Focus Rajasthan” organised at Poornima University, Jaipur
Jaipur, Divya Rashtra (Purushottam Sharma). Poornima University (PU), Jaipur recently organised ‘Sportstar Sports Conclave- Focus Rajasthan’, which saw the participation of many prominent sportspersons of the country. Players and experts, who attended the event, discussed various aspects of cricket, polo and other sports. Col. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, Cabinet Minister, Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of Rajasthan was the chief guest, while former Indian cricket captain Ajay Jadeja’s special session on ‘Cricket’s New Horizons’ was the main attraction of the conclave.
Col. Rathore presented an ambitious roadmap for the state’s sports development. In his keynote address, he announced that this year, we will launch Khelo Rajasthan, modelled after the Khelo India initiative. Additionally, we will introduce a state-specific version of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) to support our top athletes. Ajay Jadeja said that our cricket has changed; earlier India went there once in eight years so there were just one or two players who had played there. Now you have multiple tours, so they are well equipped. When you have nothing to lose, you will be dangerous.
The session on “Sports Industry Powering Rajasthan’s Economic Growth” brought together key figures from various sectors. In this, Hogne Hide, Co-owner of Norway Chess, emphasised the transformative power of chess, especially in India. Rajeev Khanna, Vice President of Rajasthan Royals, Spoke about the significant economic impact of cricket, particularly through the IPL.
Rahul Singhi, Director of host Poornima University, shared how sports have been a central focus since the university’s inception. He revealed that Poornima University has invested approximately Rs 2.5 crore in sports infrastructure and will soon offer new courses in sports management and sports sciences. Vivek Lodha, Co-founder of the Premier Handball League, highlighted the untapped commercial potential of handball in India.
In another session titled “Harnessing Science and Technology for Sports,” Anil Kumar, Founder of Great SportsTech; and Martin Owens, Head Coach at Reliance Foundation Youth Sports Odisha High-Performance Centre, among others, shared their insights. Rajasthan Royals vice-president Rajeev Khanna and former Rajasthan cricketers Sanjay Vyas and Gagan Khoda discussed a way forward for the State’s cricket in the session “Rajasthan Cricket 2.0.”
In the session titled “Project Gold – Producing Medal Winners from Rajasthan”, Divyakriti Singh Rathore, gold medalist of Asian Games in the Dressage Team event, said that equestrians needed more support from the corporates and the government to develop adequate infrastructure in India. Olympian Shooter Shagun Chowdhary, emphasized the need to improve the standards of coaching. Dronacharya Awardee and Para coach Ripu Daman Singh highlighted the need for the government to expand its investment in infrastructure beyond the scope of the larger cities. World champion in compound archery, Rajat Chauhan, also urged the government to connect the youth at the grassroots to sports. Divyansh Singh Panwar, Asian Games gold medalist, highlighted the crucial role played by the coaches and parents in the life of an athlete.
A thought-provoking session titled “The Legacy of Polo” was also held during the Conclave. The session featured two stalwarts of the sport, Lt. Col. Vishal Chauhan and Col. K.S. Garcha, former India polo players, who shared their insights and experiences about the sport’s cultural significance and its future in India.
