Union Sports Ministry's world-class high-altitude training centre at Shillong to benefit athletes

As per the Union Youth Affairs and Sports Ministry, under the leadership of Mansukh Mandaviya, the project is being carried out with an estimated cost of Rs 150 crores, undertaken in partnership with the NSE Foundation under its Corporate Social Responsibility programme, a model of public-private collaboration in the national sporting interest.

The facility will have a capacity for 450 athletes at a time, and the new facilities developed will include a dedicated Sports Science Building, an elite athletes' residential complex, an indoor heated swimming pool, and natural training trails.

The existing eight-lane 400 m athletic track, football field and overall campus structure will also undergo upgradation. This will serve as an asset in national high-performance in sports, aiding and boosting India's preparation for the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games this year and the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.

The facility will be a specialised facility located at an elevation, where naturally reduced oxygen creates a hypoxic environment. As athletes will stay and train within this environment, it will stimulate red blood cell production, improve oxygen transport and enhance endurance, cardiovascular efficiency and recovery.

The Shillong Centre will combine natural altitude with modern hypoxic facilities to offer all three internationally recognised methods -- Live High-Train High, Live High-Train Low, and Intermittent Hypoxic Training. It will be supported by an integrated ecosystem of sports science, medical and recovery services, personalised nutrition, and elite accommodation.

It will play a big role in the 2028 Olympics preparation, as altitude adaptation has become a decisive performance factor at the highest levels, especially in endurance and high-intensity sports.

* A structured altitude-training cycle can improve:

- Aerobic capacity (VO max): 3-7 per cent

- Endurance performance: 1-3 per cent -- corresponding to the very margins that separate Olympic medal winners.

-Benefits span athletics, swimming, rowing, cycling, boxing and wrestling, through improved endurance, faster recovery and sustained intensity.

The Centre will support physiological adaptation, recovery optimisation, and acclimatisation for high-altitude competition.

It is not the only instance of a high altitude training facility, as some of the leading sporting nations have dedicated altitude facilities as a central part of their preparation systems: -Iten, Kenya (2,400 m) -- training base behind generations of distance-running champions.

-St. Moritz, Switzerland (1,856 m) -- Olympic-standard infrastructure and sports-medicine support.

-Font Romeu, France (1,850 m) -- national altitude centre with comprehensive performance and rehabilitation services.

-Colorado Springs (1,921 m) & Flagstaff, USA (2,100 m) -- established Olympic and Paralympic training facilities.

The Centre at Shillong will bring this established international standard to India. Shillong offers a rare convergence of the conditions required for effective and sustainable altitude training:

-Altitude -- at ~1,496 m, within the optimal moderate-altitude zone, allowing athletes to maintain full training intensity while still gaining physiological adaptation.

-Climate & environment -- ~19C year-round permits outdoor training in all seasons; clean mountain air aids recovery.

-Terrain -- surrounding hills and natural trails ideal for endurance and cross-country conditioning.

-Strategic location -- the "Scotland of the East," a gateway to the eight North-Eastern States, one of India's fastest-growing talent reservoirs.

-Operational readiness -- built on SAI's existing campus, reducing cost and enabling faster execution.

Overall, these natural advantages and the institutional strength of the Sports Authority of India position Shillong to become India's flagship High Altitude Training Centre and a cornerstone of the nation's long-term Olympic ambitions. (ANI)