The Dakshina Kannada District Amateur Kabaddi Association and Kreeda Bharathi on Sunday, April 13, handed over Kabaddi mats sponsored by New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) Corporate Social Responsibility funds and the MP Local Area Development Fund to taluk Kabaddi associations at Bantwal. Speaking at the programme, Dakshina Kannada MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta urged Kabaddi teams and youth interested in Kabaddi to make the best use of the mats provided. In the event of Kabaddi being included in Olympics, India has bright chances of winning. Hence everyone interested should commence preparations from now itself, he said. Capt. Chowta said the Narendra Modi government has brought in phenomenal changes in the sports spectrum while providing every opportunity for rural talent in compete even in international arena. Besides promoting sports activities, basic sports infrastructure was being improved through Khelo India. The central government was working towards strengthening the sports infrastructure from the basic level, he added. Thanking NMPA for its contribution, Capt. Chowta urged NMPA and other public as well as private sector enterprises in the region to provide employment to sportspersons. NMPA chairman A.V. Ramana said the Authority responded to the direction of the MP to sponsor mats and would continue to support sports. Karnataka Amateur Kabaddi Association chairman and Dakshina Kannada District Association president Rakesh Malli congratulated the MP for his initiative while putting forth a few demands for the improvement of sports activities in the district. Bantwal MLA Rajesh U. Naik, Moodbidri MLA Umanath Kotian, Sports and Youth Empowerment Deputy Director Pradeep D’Souza, Pro-Kabaddi player Prashanth Rai, Kreeda Bharathi State Executive Member Bhojaraj Kalladka and others were present.