Education Minister Rohit Thakur on Friday inaugurated Thakur Ram Lal Girls School of Sports at Jubbal in Shimla district, the first such institution in the state to provide “national-level sports facilities” to girl students and offer training in eight different sports. He also laid the foundation stone of an additional building for the sports institution to be constructed at a cost of Rs 2.78 crore. “The institution will play an important role in promoting sports in Jubbal and providing new opportunities to youngsters,” he added. The minister said that the state government was continuously working to strengthen sports infrastructure and provide better opportunities to the youth. He added that the government had taken several important decisions to promote sports, including increasing the diet money for sportspersons from Rs 120 to Rs 220 and honouring players for outstanding performances at national and international levels.