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The Sports Authority of Gujarat (SAG) has taken up the challenge to promote a sporting culture in the youth of Gujarat. The two pronged strategy of SAG, popularizes sports and promotes excellence has been devised primarily to make the people of Gujarat aware of the value of a sporting culture.
The State Government run schools have been made centers for promoting specific sports. Further, a number of sports hostels have been established, to coach school children during vacations. The state has sanctioned a self-defense center for the district, to promote martial arts among girls and women.
A feather in the cap of Rajkot in the sporting arena was a Village Olympics, organized in the year 2005 in the famous Tarnetar Taluk. A total of 1912 participants from all over Gujarat attended the event and winners were felicitated with Certificates of Merit and cash prizes totaling a princely sum of Rs 1,16,000/.
Apart from the Government initiatives, Rajkot hosts a number of national and international cricket matches at the Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Ground, formerly known as Municipal Cricket Ground. Cricket fans still remember the 9th Nov, 2005 one-day match when Yuvraj Singh decimated the Sri Lankan bowling and made a quick 97 runs. India won the match by a solitary run. Apart from this the city has a number of other stadiums and grounds where competitive matches are organized. Notable among them are the European Gymkhana Ground, Rajkot Cricket Club Ground, Rajkumar College Ground and Western Railway Ground.
The schools and colleges of Rajkot have carved a niche for themselves in the sporting arena. The famous Rajkumar College popularly known as RKC has a rich tradition of sporting excellence and its students have participated in different levels of organized sport in India. The city also boasts of a number of privately owned gyms and tennis clubs.
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