Patna: The state of Bihar has been recognised as the best-performing state in India for promoting sports, receiving the prestigious Sportstar Best State Award at a ceremony held at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
The award was jointly received by Shreyasi Singh, Bihar’s minister for sports and information technology, and Ravindran Shankaran of the Bihar State Sports Authority. The recognition highlights the state government’s efforts to strengthen the sporting ecosystem, focusing on grassroots talent development as well as support for elite athletes across Bihar’s districts.
Shreyasi Singh, who also has a distinguished sporting career, is an accomplished competitive trap shooter. She represented India at the 2016 Summer Olympics, won a medal at the Commonwealth Games and has been honoured with the Arjuna Award. Her appointment as sports minister has been widely viewed as a major step towards strengthening sports governance and athlete-focused policies in the state.
Officials said Bihar has made significant investments in recent years to expand sports infrastructure, improve athlete welfare programmes and identify promising talent at the district and block levels. These initiatives aim to create a sustainable pathway for young athletes from rural and urban areas to compete at national and international levels.
The award was presented during the annual awards ceremony organised by Sportstar, a leading sports publication of The Hindu Group. The awards are widely regarded as a benchmark of excellence in Indian sport and recognise outstanding achievements by athletes, teams and sports administrators across the country.
