NEW DELHI: Olympic Silver medallist shooter Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore has replaced Vijay Goel as India's new Sports Minister.
Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.
In the cabinet reshuffle announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday, the 47-year-old Rathore, who was till now Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, has been additionally handed the reins to the Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry.
Rathore is now Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, while also retaining his current portfolio of Minister of State in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Colonel Rathore stepped into the shooting range in the mid 1990s and in 2004 he won the Silver medal at Athens in the men’s double trap event. It made him the first to win an individual Silver medal for the country in the Summer Games. A year prior, he had won a Silver medal at the World Championships in Sydney. Rathore joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in 2013.
His appointment was welcomed on social media by eminent sportspersons including Abhinav Bindra, Viren Rasquinha and Mary Kom.
Speaking to reporters after his appointment was announced, Rathore said "best of the opportunities" will be provided to all sportspersons in their endeavour to make India a strong sporting nation.
Rathore said the focus will be on winning medals at all levels.
"Win medals at all levels - village level or at the Olympic level. Sports is a state subject so we will work together with the state departments to provide, like I said, best of the opportunities for the sportspersons," PTI quotes Rathore telling told reporters.
"The Sports Ministry and the states will provide the right opportunities for our youth, the future of this country, to make themselves physically and mentally more stronger," said Rathore.
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