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North East has been one of the powerhouses of sports in the country and Assam has been at the forefront of developing sports infrastructure that can cater to all the eight North Eastern states apart from various schemes to support elite athletes.
The Khelo India University Games 2023, to be held across seven states from February 19-29 is just another step towards spreading the sports culture and providing opportunities for future stars to showcase their skills. The government of Assam is keen on making the state a preferred global destination for sports events as well as training and the plan to build three National Centres of Excellence and upgrade the stadiums is already put into motion. Besides that, the recent introduction of the High-Performance Sports Training and Rehabilitation Centre at the Sarusajai Sports Complex and a similar one in Jorhat is a testament to the state's focus on providing advanced sports training and rehabilitation services for athletes. Another high-performance centre has been proposed to be set up in Kokrajhar. The centres are equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and advanced sports technology to cater to the needs of the athletes from the state in particular, and the region in general. The High-Performance centres are primarily aimed at supporting athletes by offering scientific assessment, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services. The centres will also focus on conditioning and training of athletes, ensuring their mental and physical well-being through the utilisation of advanced equipment for data-driven assessment and training. The centres house various specialised labs, including a Motion Analysis Lab, Gait, and Biomechanics Lab, Para-Athletes Performance Lab, Biomechanics and Postural Lab, among others. The government also proposes to upgrade the Nehru Stadium, situated in the heart of Guwahati city, to an Olympics-level football stadium. The stadium, built in 1962, was the only multi-purpose stadium till 2007 when the Sarusajai Sports Complex was constructed. Hon'ble Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has already announced that the government has come up with another multi-purpose stadium in Amingaon, and a similar one has been proposed at Chandrapur with adequate facilities for players' hostels, among others. The National Center of Excellence in Guwahati, a joint venture of the Assam government and BAI, is a state-of-the-art facility consists of a whopping 24 badminton courts, designed to meet the rigorous training needs of 60 athletes in phase 1. In addition, the centre features a 4,000 sq ft gymnasium with modern fitness equipment, a 60-bed hostel for players, a yoga centre and a dedicated 2,000 sq ft physiotherapy centre to ensure the athletes receive the utmost care and support to maintain their peak performance. Spread across an area of 40,000 square feet, the centre comes as a significant milestone for Indian badminton as it redefines badminton training and also empowers the country's glorious future in the sport. (ANI)
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