Gujarat: 500 youths from six states, UT take part in drug-free India campaign

Gandhinagar: Around 500 youths from six states and a Union Territory took part in a drug-awareness programme organised by the Sports Authority of India (SAI) at the Heartfulness Centre in Gandhinagar on Saturday, using traditional Indian games, fitness challenges and Zumba to promote a healthy, drug-free lifestyle.

The programme, organised by SAI Regional Centre Gandhinagar under the 'Fit India Movement' in collaboration with MY Bharat, was held under the theme 'Nasha Mukt Yuva, Viksit Bharat'.

Participants came from Bihar, Odisha, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh, as well as the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

They were divided into state-based teams for a series of sporting activities designed to encourage teamwork and physical fitness while raising awareness about substance abuse.

The event began with an address and a group warm-up session, followed by an address by mountaineer and Fit India Movement brand ambassador Nisha Kumari.

She also administered the 'Nasha Mukt Bharat' pledge, in which participants committed themselves to staying away from tobacco, alcohol and drugs and making healthier choices in their daily lives.

The activities included Lagori, tug of war, sack race, a snakes-and-ladders game based on the Nasha Mukt Bharat campaign, 'Knock Out Nasha' can toss, 'Choose Fitness' ring toss, the Fit India Fitness Challenge and a penalty shoot-out.

Conducted across designated activity zones, the challenges tested participants' agility, speed, coordination, accuracy and ability to work as a team.

A Zumba session added a group-fitness component to the programme, while the traditional games offered participants an opportunity to engage with forms of recreation that have become less familiar to some young people.

"I really liked today's event, as it conveys the message of de-addiction to young people while also reviving traditional games that were once widely played. Many of these games are unfamiliar to today's youth, so it is encouraging to see them being introduced through such initiatives," Kumari said.

Ishtpreet Kaur, Assistant Director at SAI Regional Centre Gandhinagar, was present at the event and felicitated Kumari with a memento in recognition of her association with the initiative.

District Youth Officer Ayush said the programme aimed to encourage young people to avoid substance abuse and contribute to the vision of a developed India by 2047.

"We want our country to become completely free from drugs, and we want young people to stay away from substance abuse so that we can realise the vision of a 'Viksit Bharat by 2047'. With this objective, various initiatives are being undertaken to channel the energy of young people in the right direction," he added.

The programme concluded with the felicitation of winners from the traditional games and fitness activity zones.

Sachin Sharma, state director of MY Bharat Gujarat, and Vishal Nagarale, Jamnagar district youth officer, were also present, along with organisers and volunteers.

The initiative forms part of the Fit India Movement, which encourages people to make physical activity and fitness part of their daily lives.

Through the campaign, the organisers sought to link participation in sports and recreational activities with the message of preventing substance abuse among young people.

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