NEW DELHI: Uttarakhand chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is set to launch two initiatives for the development of sports and athletes, marking the fifth year of his tenure. The first is the establishment of a sports university in Haldwani, whose foundation is to be laid on Sports Day, and the other is the establishment of 23 sports academies across eight cities in the state.The academies will be established in cities like Dehradun, Haldwani, and Haridwar, where sports infrastructure was developed during the National Games. “It is a matter of great pride that Uttarakhand is now being recognized as a land of sports. After the grand hosting of the National Games, the state has developed a positive sports environment. The morale of athletes is high, and they are performing well. The government will continue to take big decisions for the development of sports and implement them effectively,” said Pushkar Singh Dhami. The initiatives are taken up to better maintain the sports infrastructure that has already been created and to establish a solid platform for training athletes. Rapid progress is being made in both projects taken up by the government, with the notification for the university already being issued.The 38th National Games were held in Uttarakhand, with the state scoring a century of medals and ranking seventh in the medal tally. The event ultimately led to the establishment of sports infrastructure, marking a milestone in the field of sports. A new sports policy was announced in the state in 2021 that focused on encouraging athletes and included a provision of incentives ranging from Rs 1 crore to Rs 2 crore for Olympic medal winners. The incentive amount has been doubled since then. Government jobs are also offered to athletes who win medals in national and international competitions.