Patna, May 4 (PTI): Teenager Vaibhav Suryavanshi's astonishing batting skills have captured the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Sunday hailed the 'son of Bihar' for working immensely hard on his craft which helped him play fearless cricket on the big stage.

Modi mentioned Vaibhav's batting exploits in his video address during the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games in Bihar.

The 14-year-old Suryavanshi, who hails from Bihar's Samastipur, became a toast of cricketing world when he hit a stunning 35-ball hundred for Rajasthan Royals against Gujarat Titans recently in the IPL.

"I have seen in the IPL, the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi's spectacular performance. At such a young age, Vaibhav has set such a great record. There is a lot of hard work behind Vaibhav's performance," Modi said in his address.

Modi said single-minded training and several matches he played to be ready for the big challenges contributed to Suryavanshi's success and encouraged the youth to put in the hard yards and compete intensely.

"To bring his talent to the forefront, he has played many matches at different levels. The more you play, the more you will shine. Competing in matches and competitions as much as possible is very important. The NDA government has always given it the highest priority in its policies.

"The government's focus is on giving our athletes the opportunity to play new sports. That is why the Khelo India Youth Games included Gatka, Kho-kho, Malkhambh and Yogasana. In recent days, our athletes have performed very well in many new sports like Wushu, Lawn Balls, Roller Skating."

Modi said sports holds a significant place in his government's policy making.

"There is a new national education policy, in which we have made sports a part of mainstream education. The aim of this policy is to create excellent sports professionals along with good players in the country.

"My young friends, we know that sportsmanship plays a very important role in every aspect of life. We learn team spirit in the field of sports. We learn to move forward together," he said.

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Lakhimpur Kheri (UP) (PTI): Ten people were killed when a van collided head-on with a truck on the Sisaiya-Lakhimpur national highway on Monday, police said.

The van was going to Sisaiya from Lakhimpur when the accident took place between Unchgaon and Bharehta villages.

Circle Officer of Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh, said all nine passengers travelling in the van and the driver were killed.

District Magistrate of Lakhimpur Kheri Anjani Kumar Singh told reporters that the van collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction, leading to nine casualties on the spot, while one succumbed to injuries at the district hospital.

Circle Officer, Dhaurahra, Shamsher Bahadur Singh told PTI, "Efforts are on to establish the identity of other deceased persons."

The seven of the deceased have been identified as Jaideep Singh (25), Pawan (23), Sohan (21), Ram Goyal (42), Sahajram (35), Pappu (18), all residents of Bahraich district and Adnan Khan (15), a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri district, police said.

Condoling the loss of lives in the accident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a post on X, said, "The loss of life in the unfortunate road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply distressing and heart-wrenching. My condolences are with the bereaved families."

"I have directed the local administration to provide prompt and adequate assistance to the injured and the victims. I pray to Lord Shri Ram to grant the departed souls a place at His divine feet and to bestow a speedy recovery upon the injured," Adityanath said on X.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya and Brajesh Pathak too condoled the loss of lives in the accident.

"The loss of lives resulting from the road accident in Lakhimpur Kheri district is deeply tragic and heart-wrenching. My deepest condolences go out to the bereaved families," Maurya said.