Gandhinagar (Gujarat) [India] September 22 (ANI): Navratri celebrates the nine forms of Shakti, symbolising female power and strength. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has consistently emphasised women's empowerment in his Vision of Viksit Bharat@2047. As the then Chief Minister of Gujarat and now as Prime Minister of India, he has worked continuously to bring women to the forefront across social, educational, political, and sports fields, an official statement said.

As a result of the Khel Mahakumbh, launched by him as the then Chief Minister of Gujarat, and Khelo India (modelled on the Khel Mahakumbh), launched by him as Prime Minister, have provided a strong platform for women athletes to develop their skills and achieve international success. These initiatives have strengthened India's presence and performance in global sports.

In Gujarat, athletes such as Sarita Gayakwad (running), Mana Patel (swimming), Ankita Raina (tennis), Elavenil Valarivan (shooting), and Bhavina Patel (table tennis) have excelled internationally, making the state proud. Their success has inspired more women to take up sports. Launched in 2010, the Khel Mahakumbh has grown into Asia's largest grassroots talent identification and development program. So far, over 26.56 lakh women have registered.

The Gujarat government launched the Shaktidoot Scheme in 2006 to support talented players from Gujarat to succeed, not just nationally but globally. The scheme offers sports-related support and assistance tailored to each athlete's potential and requirements.

Under the Scheme, tennis player Ankita Raina, an Arjuna Award recipient with multiple international gold medals, received over Rs 2.19 crore between 2017 and 2024. Swimmer Mana Patel received Rs 67,50,798 during the same period. Mana Patel is the first woman from Gujarat to participate in the Olympics for swimming and has also won medals at global events such as the South Asian Games and major national competitions, including Khelo India.

Famously known as Dang Express, Sarita Gayakwad won the gold medal in the women's 4x400m relay at the 2018 Asian Games and received Rs 12 lakh in assistance under Shaktidoot Scheme between 2017 and 2024. For the year 2024-25, a total of 13 women athletes - including Elavenil Valarivan (rifle shooting), Zeel Desai (tennis), Vaidehi Chaudhari (tennis), Ankita Raina (tennis), Mana Patel (swimming), Sanofar Pathan (wrestling), Tasnim Mir (badminton), and Bhavina Patel (table tennis for Paralympics 2024) - have been provided with a total incentive of over Rs 147.23 lakh under Shaktidoot Scheme.

To encourage women in Gujarat to participate more actively in sports and achieve success at the state, national, and global levels, the government has implemented the Cash Award Scheme for Women Players of the state. Women athletes who win first place in individual or team events representing Gujarat at national-level competitions receive an annual award of Rs 4,800, those finishing second receive Rs 3,600, and third-place winners receive Rs 2,400. To date, the scheme has provided over Rs 11 crore to women players.

Over the last two decades, sports have become a transformative sector in Gujarat. Today, the state boasts world-class sports infrastructure, and the sports budget has grown from Rs 2.5 crore in 2002 to now over Rs 484 crore. The Sports Policy 2022-27, launched under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, has played a key role in promoting sports in the state and enabling athletes to perform at the global level. (ANI)