Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr Manik Saha on Thursday  said that sports and culture play a very important role in building a healthy society, and the present state government is working with special emphasis on the development of sports infrastructure.

Dr. Saha was speaking at the inauguration of the Yonex Sunrise North East Zone Inter-State and Zonal Badminton Championship 2025 organized by the Tripura Badminton Association at NSRCC Indoor Hall in Agartala.

Calling the day historic for Tripura, the Chief Minister said the tournament, which will continue till September 7, has brought together over 200 players and officials from Tripura and other North Eastern states.

“I welcome them all. Sports have the power to bring people together,” he added.

Highlighting the importance of fitness, Dr. Saha said, “Physical fitness is one of the pillars of mental development. In sports, people find the path to life development and a winning attitude. When a child is exposed to sports and a joyful environment from an early age, their mind becomes cheerful. Sports instill discipline, perseverance, responsibility, duty, and patriotism. Our government is determined to nurture the talents of many promising players in the state.”

The Chief Minister also underlined the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in promoting sports.

“The Prime Minister is encouraging the development of infrastructure through initiatives like Khelo India to bring youth to the playground. Over the last 6–7 years, significant sports infrastructure has been developed in Tripura, and many more projects are underway. As a result, our children are already achieving success at national-level competitions,” he said.

Sharing details of the progress, Dr. Saha informed that eight synthetic turf football fields have been built across the state, with another under construction. The state has also completed one synthetic hockey field, one swimming pool, and two synthetic athletic tracks at Panisagar and Badharghat respectively.

He further announced that a comprehensive sports complex will be developed at Bholagiri in Agartala with facilities including a gallery, an international-standard swimming pool, a natural football field, and a multipurpose sports hall.

The inaugural session was attended by several distinguished guests, including Agartala Municipal Corporation Mayor and MLA Dipak Majumdar, Manipur State Badminton Association President and MLA Biswajit Singh, AMC Central Zone Chairman Ratna Dutta, Padma Shri gymnast Dipa Karmakar, Tripura Sports Council Secretary Sukanta Ghosh, Youth Affairs and Sports Department Secretary Dr. P.K. Chakraborty, Director L. Darlong, Tripura Badminton Association President Ratan Saha, and officials from various states of the North East.