Outgoing Sports Minister Rijiju said India’s ambition to become a great sporting nation will continue.

New Delhi: Outgoing Sports activities Minister Kiren Rijiju on Thursday mentioned the journey to make India an excellent sporting nation will proceed after Anurag Thakur changed him within the place with only a fortnight left for the Tokyo Olympic Video games.

Rijiju, who took cost of the sports activities ministry in Could 2019, will hand over the duties to Thakur, who can also be the Data and Broadcasting minister within the reshuffled cupboard.

Thakur is the primary cupboard minister since Mani Shankar Iyer (2006-2008) to get the sports activities ministry’s accountability.

Rijiju has additionally been promoted to the rank of a cupboard minister and can take cost of the Ministry of Legislation and Justice.

“We tried the whole lot to make India an excellent sporting nation. The journey will proceed, it’s a change of duties,” he instructed reporters at a farewell operate organised by the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) on Thursday.

“I’m shifting to the Legislation and Justice Ministry however the efforts that are happening within the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports activities will proceed and my finest needs to the group,” he added.

“The time which I had within the sports activities and youth affairs ministry has been extraordinarily beneficial in addition to filled with occasions and actions. From younger to senior athletes I’ve met most of them and interacted with them. The journey of creating India an excellent sporting nation will proceed and shall be fulfilled.

Rijiju hailed his group on the sports activities ministry, saying it did the whole lot in its capability to meet the aspirations of the countrymen and the imaginative and prescient of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I simply met the sports activities ministry officers. Secretary Youth Affairs, Secretary Sports activities, Director Basic SAI and your complete group. We had an excellent group, we had a beautiful journey. We did the whole lot to meet the imaginative and prescient of Hon’ble Prime Minister and the aspirations of the individuals.”

Rijiju was appointed because the minister of state for sports activities in Could 2019, changing Olympic silver-medallist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Together with the Unbiased cost of the Sports activities and Youth Affairs, Rijiju additionally served because the minister of state for minority affairs earlier than being given momentary cost of the ministry of Ayush.

Greater than 120 athletes have certified for the Olympic Video games which can open on 23 July amid strict well being security protocols as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout Rijiju’s tenure, the sports activities ministry had determined in opposition to sending its delegation for the mega-event, in contrast to previous editions, saying that it might guarantee the broader presence of the athletes’ assist employees.

Highlights of Rijiju’s stint included a rise in prize cash for nationwide sports activities awards winners, immediate help for present and former athletes dealing with monetary hardships and improve of infrastructure at numerous SAI amenities throughout the nation.