Young Talent Gets Major Boost: Grand Finale of Late Lakhiram Agrawal T-20 Held in Presence of Chief Minister Shri Sai
Promoting Youth Power is the True Direction of Developed Chhattisgarh: Chief Minister Shri Sai
Raipur, March 30, 2026.
Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai attended the closing ceremony of the Late Lakhiram Agrawal T-20 Deuce Ball Cricket Tournament on Sunday at Raja Raghuraj Singh Stadium in Bilaspur. He interacted with players and encouraged them. Teams from eight states participated in the nine-day tournament, featuring players who have represented platforms such as Ranji Trophy and IPL. The final match was played between Chhattisgarh Cricket Association and Kharagpur team.
Chief Minister Shri Sai said the tournament organised in memory of late Lakhiram Agrawal is a commendable initiative and recalled his outstanding contribution to public service. He also served actively as a Rajya Sabha MP for a long period.
He noted that the event generated enthusiasm among sports lovers and highlighted Bilaspur’s strong cricket culture.
Referring to sports promotion, Chief Minister Shri Sai said infrastructure and training are being strengthened under the Khelo India scheme. Chhattisgarh is hosting Khelo India Tribal Games. He highlighted initiatives like Bastar Olympics and Surguja Olympics, which are providing opportunities to lakhs of players.
The Chief Minister said the government has constructed the third-largest cricket stadium in the country and the fourth-largest in the world, and named it after Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh. The state government is continuously working to encourage players. Special efforts are being made to ensure that the state’s sportsperson participate in the Olympic Games. Athletes winning gold medals in the Olympics will be given an incentive of Rs 3 crore, Rs 2 crore for silver and Rs 1 crore for bronze. Work is also underway towards construction of integrated sports complexes in the state.
Paying his regards, Union Minister of State Shri Tokhan Sahu remembered late Lakhiram Agrawal’s contributions and said the tournament reflects his inspiring life of struggle and dedication.
Bilaspur MLA Shri Amar Agrawal expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Shri Vishnu Deo Sai and other dignitaries present at the event.
MLAs including Shri Dharamlal Kaushik, Shri Dharamjit Singh and Shri Sushant Shukla, Mayor Smt. Pooja Vidhani, District Panchayat President Shri Rajesh Suryavanshi, District Cooperative Bank Chairman Shri Rajneesh Singh, former MP Shri Lakhan Lal Sahu, Divisional Commissioner Shri Sunil Jain, IG Shri Ram Gopal Garg, Collector Shri Sanjay Agrawal, SSP Shri Rajnesh Singh and cricket player Shri Rajesh Chauhan were present on the occasion.
