GORAKHPUR, Jan. 17 -- Describing sports as a powerful tool for youth empowerment and nation-building, chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said universities and degree colleges must adopt at least one sport each to systematically groom young talent. Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's initiatives, Yogi said the country had witnessed a major shift in its approach to sports over the past 11 years, with the emergence of a new sports culture. "Before 2014, sports and sportspersons were not a priority for governments. Due to the lack of international-level infrastructure, athletes often felt neglected. Since 2014, initiatives such as Khelo India, Fit India and MP Sports Competitions have transformed the sports ecosystem and extended opportunities to villages," he said while inaugurating the Eastern Zone Inter-University Women's Basketball Championship at Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gorakhpur University, He said sports promote discipline, teamwork and healthy competition, adding that increased sporting activity would help keep young people away from addiction and social evils while strengthening India's journey towards becoming a developed nation by 2047. "Sports channelise the energy of the youth in a positive direction. A physically fit and disciplined generation will be the backbone of a strong and developed India," he added. Welcoming women basketball players from 14 states and 31 universities to the "holy land of Guru Gorakhnath", the chief minister described Gorakhpur as a centre of spiritual, cultural and historical heritage. He also released the university's sports brochure. The chief minister said Uttar Pradesh had taken significant steps to strengthen sports infrastructure, including establishing the state's first Sports University in Meerut and including sports equipment manufacturing there under the One District One Product (ODOP) scheme. He said families were now encouraging both boys and girls equally to take up sports. The state government provides Rs.10 lakh to athletes participating in the Olympics, he added. "An individual Olympic gold medallist is awarded Rs.6 crore along with a Group-A government job. So far, more than 500 medal-winning athletes have been given direct government jobs," Yogi said. He also noted that the 2030 Commonwealth Games will be held in Gujarat and that India has applied to host the 2036 Olympic Games. Earlier, vice-chancellor Poonam Tandon welcomed the chief minister, saying sports strengthen national consciousness and promote unity....