Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel set an ambitious target for his state's teams and players in the 36th National Games, starting at Ahmedabad on September 29, doubling the cash bonanza for medal winners.

The Chief Minister made the announcement during a mega ceremony to introduce the #GoForGold campaign on Tuesday, interacting with the state's delegation of athletes, coaches, and support personnel as he did so.

The Chief Minister urged the state delegation to "strive for GOLD" during his speech. If you can believe, no one can stop you from achieving greatness, he said. "Once you think that you can achieve the impossible, you are already halfway there."

"As a show of support and thanks, the state government is tripling the monetary prizes for winning medals," he continued.

Harsh Sanghavi, the sports minister for Gujarat, emphasised to the crowd that Team Gujarat had the Home Advantage because it was the host state and he urged his players to make the most of it.

He said, "It is my heartfelt hope that everyone of you flourish in your sport. You all have started playing sport on this very land and now you have an opportunity to bring glory."

Pullela Gopichand, a former All-England Open champion and national badminton coach, and world champion shooter Anjali Bhagwat attended the event as the principal guests. The players were urged to have a large picture perspective and let the outcomes take care of themselves.

Gopichand said, "If we can organise an event with 20,000 competitors so magnificently, I am convinced that we can host the Olympics too, which assembles only 11,000 participants. I commend the Gujarat government for taking the initiative to hold the National Games.

Anjali Bhagwat said, "I am delighted to be here, especially as my first-ever shooting match was here in Ahmedabad when I arrived as an NCC girl. I went on to win a medal, and my adventure in the sport began.

The two elements necessary for success, according to her, are mental toughness and mindset. If your mind doesn't picture yourself winning the medal and standing on the podium, you won't succeed, she continued. "You need to think that you can be a champ. Give it all you've got.

In a video message to the chosen players, the state coaches urged their charges to "play fair yet fierce" in order to outperform the opposition.

The kit for the National Games, or the uniforms that the team would wear throughout practises and events, was also introduced by the Honorable Chief Minister. He also provided an update on the National Games' ongoing preparations, including training camps, etc.

Nearly 2,000 people attended the event, including Gujarati athletes competing in the National Games along with their coaches, assistant coaches, team managers, etc., as well as state bureaucrats and top sports authorities, as well as representatives from sports academies and the media.

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