VARANASI, Jan. 5 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday described Varanasi as a city of sports lovers, where wrestling, wrestling arenas, boxing, boat races, and kabaddi are very popular. Varanasi has produced many national-level players, and institutions like Banaras Hindu University, UP College, and Kashi Vidyapeeth have seen their players excel at state and national levels, he added. He expressed happiness that Varanasi is preparing itself for major events, emphasising that securing a place on the country's sporting map through the National Volleyball Championship is highly significant for the city. With infrastructure development, Kashi is emerging as a destination to host such a big sports event, he added. For thousands of years, Varanasi has welcomed all those who come here in the pursuit of knowledge and art, Modi said. He expressed confidence that during the National Volleyball Championship, the enthusiasm of Varanasi will remain high, the players will find spectators to cheer them on and they will also experience the rich tradition of hospitality that Varanasi embodies. Referring to a local saying "Je Banaras ke jaanna chahat hau, uka Banaras aawe ka pari (the one who wants to know Banaras, he will have to visit Banaras)," Modi said that the players have now arrived in Varanasi and will also come to know the city. Highlighting the transformation in sports infrastructure is also benefiting Varanasi, Modi said modern sports facilities are being developed and stadiums for different games are coming up. He recalled that prior to this championship, Varanasi has hosted several important events that provided opportunities for local people and boosted the local economy, including G20 meetings, cultural festivals like Kashi Tamil Sangamam and Kashi Telugu Sangamam, the Pravasi Bharatiya Sammelan, and Varanasi's designation as the cultural capital of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. He remarked that this championship is now joining these achievements as another jewel, and observed that such events are positioning Varanasi as a major destination for large platforms. "Taste it," Modi urged and added that take with you the experience of visiting Baba Vishwanath, boating in the Ganga, and soaking in the city's heritage. Concluding his remarks, he encouraged the players to perform well in the tournament, expressing hope that every spike, block, and point from the soil of Varanasi will elevate India's sporting aspirations....