Modi exhorts leading companies to promote sports in Bihar

Patna, Sep 2 (UNI) Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar Sushil Kumar Modi today stressed the need for greater co-operation from leading public and private sector companies in promoting sports, including cricket in the state.

Inaugurating a function organised here to felicitate the cricket players selected for Bihar Ranji Team, Mr Modi said there was no dearth of talents in the state and they would attain a new 'high' in their career if proper training and facilities were provided to them.

A resource crunch state like Bihar was extending all kinds of facilities to budding sportsmen but the required results could be achieved only after the co-operation from the big private and public sector companies, he added.

Mr Modi asked the sports associations to organise national and international tournaments in Patna and assured that the state government would extend all help in making these events 'successful'.

The state government had already announced jobs for national and interational level players in government services, he added.

''Bihar was the first state to announce waiving of entertainment tax on screening 'Chak De India' in the state and other states, including Maharastra, Delhi and Punjab followed the trend later,'' he remarked.

Such films help to inspire the young sportspersons of the country, he added, Addressing the function, president of Jharkhand Cricket association (JCA) Amitabh Chaudhary said it was working sincerely for promoting cricket in Bihar and Jharkhand and all allegations regarding unfair treatment to Bihar cricketers were baseless.

''We should be cautious about vested interests indulged in these nefarious activities for personal gain,'' he opined.

UNI