Anurag Thakur on Wednesday replaced Kiren Rijiju as the country’s sports minister with just two weeks left for the Tokyo Olympics. 46 year old ex Cricket After taking oath as a cabinet minister, the board president was given the charge of sports with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Thakur tweeted, “I feel honored to serve the people of India as a Union Cabinet Minister and take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji for entrusting me with this responsibility. “
Thakur was the President of BCCI between May 2016 and February 2017. Prior to this, he was the secretary of the board and also the head of Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA). Thakur, a Member of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh’s Hamirpur constituency, served as Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs under Nirmala Sitharaman before Wednesday’s cabinet reshuffle.
His brother Arun Dhumal is currently the treasurer of BCCI. Thakur is one of the six ministers who have been promoted to cabinet rank. Rijiju, Hardeep Singh Puri, Purushottam Rupala, G Kishan Reddy, Mansukh Mandaviya are other promoted ministers.
Rijiju was appointed as the Minister of State for Sports in May 2019, replacing Olympic silver medalist Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore. With independent charge of Sports and Youth Affairs, Rijiju also served as Minister of State for Minority Affairs before being given the temporary charge of the Ministry of AYUSH. “A heartfelt thank you to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri. @narendramodi ji. Atmanirbhar will work dedicatedly to fulfill the thoughts and vision of Hon’ble Prime Minister to make India,’ Rijiju tweeted.
Over 120 athletes have qualified for the Olympic Games, starting July 23, amid stringent health safety protocols due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During Rijiju’s tenure, the Sports Ministry had decided not to send its delegation for the mega-event unlike in previous editions, saying it would ensure wider attendance of the athletes’ support staff.
Highlights of Rijiju’s tenure include increase in prize money for National Sports Award winners, prompt assistance to current and former athletes facing financial difficulties and infrastructure upgradation at various Sports Authority of India facilities across the country.
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