Playgrounds Are More Important Than PlayStations’: PM Modi Urges Youth to Embrace Sports

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday urged India’s youth to make sports a regular part of their daily lives, stressing the importance of outdoor physical activities amid growing screen time among young people. Addressing athletes during the Khelo India Dialogue through video conferencing, Modi said sports are increasingly finding a place alongside education and career planning. According to the Prime Minister, this reflects the growing confidence in India’s sporting future. “When timetables are prepared for careers and studies, sports are also finding their place in them. This is because of the change that is increasing India’s confidence in its sporting future,” Modi said. The Prime Minister emphasised that schools should not treat sports merely as a co-curricular activity. Instead, he said, sporting activities should become an integral part of students’ everyday lives. “A sports culture develops when schools see the sports period not as a co-curricular activity, but as a way of life,” Modi said. He added that such an approach helps create a wider pool of talent while also encouraging support from children’s families. Highlighting the increasing use of smartphones, computers and gaming consoles among young people, Modi called for greater participation in outdoor sports. “Sports centres are more important than screens. Playgrounds are more important than PlayStations,” he said, adding that such a change would be possible when young people themselves carry this thinking forward. Modi also underlined the role of sports in developing resilience and a competitive spirit. He said the qualities associated with a sporting spirit are important for building a healthy society, strong family systems and a better work culture, but are difficult to learn without actually stepping onto the playing field. The Prime Minister said sports teach people more than simply becoming champions. They also help individuals become better competitors by teaching them how to deal with setbacks and keep moving forward. “Getting up, falling down and rising again after a fall—sports create this enthusiasm within us,” Modi said. He further noted that the success of a sportsperson benefits not only the athlete but also their family, educational institution and society. Summing up his message on the wider impact of sports, Modi said, “Those who play, flourish.”