Shyamhari Chakra
The Union Sports Ministry has upgraded sports centres in seven States and two Union Territories as Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE).
The centres coming under the Khelo India Project are in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir.
“The government is taking the two-pronged approach of developing grass root level infrastructure on the one hand and creating facilities for sporting excellence on the other. The KISCEs will be world-class facilities where the best sporting talent from all over the country will be trained to further India’s Olympic dreams.” Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju stated during announcement of the decision.
These centres have been chosen based on their past performances, quality of infrastructure, management and sports culture in the State, the Ministry officials explained.
The sports facilities were selected by the States and Union Territories who were asked to identify the best sports infrastructure available with them that could be developed into world-class sporting facilities, they added.
Earlier this year, the Ministry identified 14 centres to be upgraded to KISCEs.
With the new addition of the nine centres, the country has got 24 KISCEs across 23 States and UTs.
The assistance to these centres will be provided in the form of bridging the gaps in sports equipment, high performance managers, coaches, sports scientists and technical support, the Ministry maintained.
The new list of KISCEs include Dr. YSR Sports School, YSR District, Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh; Hockey Stadium in Sector – 42 of Chandigarh; Rajya Khel Prashikshan Kendra, Bilaspur in Chhatisgarh; SAG Sports Complex, Campal, Panaji, Goa; Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, Sonipat in Haryana; Indoor Stadium Luhnu Sports Complex, Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh; Rajiv Gandhi School of Sports, Uppallam in Puducherry and Dasarath Deb State Sports Complex, Badharghat, Agartala in Tripura.
The erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir has got KISCE at M.A. Stadium in Jammu and J & K Sports Council Water Sports Academy in Srinagar.
