"Necessary to promote sports to divert attention": Suniel Shetty advocates for sports promotion among children
Nagpur, May 31
Actor Suniel Shetty on Sunday advocated for the need to promote sports among children.
Speaking to the media, on the sidelines of the Khasdar (Sansad) Krida Mahotsav, Shetty shared, "When children's attention stays on sports, they don't wander anywhere else besides that. If anything positive has happened in my life, it has happened solely and only because of my love for sports. It is necessary to promote sports to divert children's attention from every wrong thing."
The actor also emphasised how sports will help keep children focused and guide them away from negative influences.
"This is the cure for it. Sports, health, and wellness. If we educate them, it will make a big difference. Today, in a city like Nagpur, you'll see hundreds of thousands of kids involved in sports. When children focus on sports, they don't have time for anything else. In my life too, if anything positive has happened, and even at this age, people talk about my fitness and health, it's purely because of my love for sports. To steer our children away from negative influences, it's crucial to encourage their involvement in sports," he added.
"It's incredible. Truly remarkable. That's why it's important for people like us to attend such events year after year, to spread the message that there's no better way to maintain health than through sport," Shetty further shared.
The Bollywood actor was in Nagpur to inaugurate the Khasdar (Sansad) Krida Mahotsav on Sunday morning, in the presence of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
A multi-sport event, the mahotsav is set to run from May 31 to June 7.
— ANI
Reader Comments
I appreciate the sentiment, but calling sports a "diversion" feels a bit off. Shouldn't we promote sports for the joy and health benefits, not just to keep kids away from "wrong things"? Also, what about access? Many government schools don't have proper grounds or equipment. Let's address that first. 🎯
As someone who grew up playing cricket in the streets of Mumbai, I can relate. Sports taught me resilience and how to handle both victory and defeat. Suniel Shetty's fitness is indeed legendary for his age. But let's not forget that academics and extracurriculars need balance too. All-round development, na? 😄
It's good to see Bollywood stars using their influence for such causes. But I wish more attention was given to girl child participation in sports. In many Indian families, girls are still discouraged from playing outdoors. This message needs to reach every parent, especially in rural areas. 🙏
Suniel Shetty is spot on! I myself started playing kabaddi in school and it changed my life. No time for bad habits when you're training hard. But the government needs to invest more in grassroots coaching and infrastructure. Nagpur is lucky to have Gadkari ji promoting this. Kudos! 💪
Interesting perspective from Suniel Shetty. In the West, we often focus on sports for physical health and character building, not as a "diversion." But I see his point about keeping kids focused. The challenge is making sports accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds in India. Hope this initiative reaches beyond just Nagpur.
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