More than 150 sporting personalities of Chandigarh gathered today April 17, 2009 to hear a historic first ‘Sports Manifesto” by independent parliamentary candidate Ajay Goyal. Who’s who of Chandigarh’s award winning sports men, women, champions, coaches, presidents and office bearers of sports associations and federations had high praise for the vision document and plans presented by Ajay Goyal.

NRI investor and film financier Ajay Goyal has been campaiging for two weeks in the colonies and villages of Chandigarh. Today he introduced another side of his profile to the sports lovers. He is himself a distance runner, a golfer, sailor and skier. despite numerous injuries including fractures and slip disk, Goyal said he attributes his success around the world to the fact that he always had a “sporting heart and body.”

Expressing his dismay at lack of publicly accessible sports facilities, community centres and world class sporting infrastructure Goyal said that he will place sports as one of highest priorities if elected Member of Parliament from Chandigarh. ” I will give at least 25 percent of my discretionary fund to sports,” and I will bring all the necessary investment and support required ” to make Chandigarh the crown jewel of sports in India and the world.”

Goyal presented his three pronged plan to achieve results which was widely hailed by those present. His proposals were met with rapturous applause. ” We have never had a politician in this city who gives such attention to sports. This is a wonderful day for Chandigarh,” said one of the present sports leaders. “We never had a politician who had such focus and understanding of critical need for sports in our life for our youth,” said another.

Goyal said a comprehensive sports plan for all age groups and levels is necessary for forming our national character and strong minds and bodies. “Unfortnately there is a liquor shop every ten steps in Chadigarh but no sports or community centres.” Goyal said. ” I will promote creation of sports fields and community centres all around Chandigarh so kids and youth have some positive engagement to burn their energy. If they have no such facilities, they fall victims to drugs. We can eradicate the menace of drugs through sports.” Goyal said the community centres will have indoor sports, library, an online computer and sporting equipment to loan to kids. ” I am confident the UT administration, private sector, individuals and NGOs will join us in such initiatives,” Goyal said.

Goyal also suggested cleaning up the empty plots of Chandigarh of rubbish and rubble so “kids can just kick balls there. Do not underestimate the power of a child kicking a ball. ”

Other salient features of his plan include providing nutritious diet at sports centres, lobbying to make the UT’s sports facilities free for children, staring a “sports line” free bus service to take children to sporting grounds and bringing “sports tourism from mineral rich central asian countries which have money but bad climate.”

Ajay Goyal said that he came up with the idea of a sports-manifesto, which is the first in Indian elections as he considers sports and yoga as essential to the future of India