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The Governing Body (GB) of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), chaired by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya, approved a wide range of infrastructure development and upgradation projects across the country at a meeting held in New Delhi on Monday.
"The Indian sports ecosystem is now in its youth, and it is the need of the hour to strengthen it in every possible way so that it has a bright future. The decisions we are taking today are athlete-centric and aimed at ensuring that players have the best infrastructure that they need so that the medal counts that we have in mind for CWG. Olympics are met," Mandaviya said in his address to the SAI Governing Body. One of the key projects recommended by the GB is the procurement of Poligras Paris GT Zero hockey turf for SAI NSSC, Bengaluru, which serves as the training hub for the Indian men's and women's national and 'A' hockey teams. The Governing Body also agreed to replace the existing electronic shooting targets with laser target systems at the Karni Singh Shooting Range (KSSR), the training ground of India's elite and emerging shooters. In addition to these key decisions, the Governing Body also approved the construction of three multipurpose halls at SAI NCOE Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (formerly SAI Aurangabad), SAI NSNIS Patiala, and SAI LNCPE Trivandrum to facilitate intensive training and comprehensive athlete development. The facility at SAI NCEO Chatrapati Sambhajinagar will house a dedicated weather-proof boxing training zone, strength & conditioning area and designated indoor spaces for volleyball and badminton, whereas the indoor training hall at SAI NSNIS Patiala is expected to enhance the indoor training capacity of the facility and provide a modern, integrated ecosystem for sports performance, sports science support, conditioning and recovery. India's premier academic institution and high-performance training centre, LNCPE Trivandrum, has also been given a new multipurpose hall to ensure uninterrupted year-round training and academic activities. The GB also approved the construction of a 400-metre, 8-lane synthetic athletics track at SAI STC Jalpaiguri in West Bengal. The committee noted that SAI STC Jalpaiguri has emerged as a key centre for athletics training and, despite limited infrastructure, has consistently delivered commendable performances at both regional and national levels. Besides SAI STC Jalpaiguri, the committee also approved the laying of a new synthetic track in SAI CRC, Bhopal. The centre, which has athletes of multiple sporting disciplines training in it, has consistently produced international-level athletes, including two Olympians. (ANI)
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