Sports hostels to be upgraded to be like 3-star hotels: Kiren Rijiju

Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs & Sports Kiren Rijiju said on Sunday that all sports hostels and academies in the country would be upgraded on a par with three-star hotels.

Speaking after laying the foundation stone for the upgradation of Nehru stadium here, he said, in order to provide best facilities to sportspersons, the Centre had decided to upgrade sports hostels.

Inmates of the hostels will get nutritious food and professional chefs will be appointed, the minister said.

On a pilot basis, the sports facility centre in Delhi, National Sports Institute in Patiala, Punjab and Regional Sports Authority of India in Bengaluru will be upgraded. Tenders will be invited to ensure that only professionals manage them.

He said 23 national centres of excellence in India were being managed by professional managers to ensure that international players get nutritious food and all required facilities. Sports facility centres in the country would be transformed into world-class centres.

Rijiju said the Modi government was providing financial assistance of Rs 50,000 to potential international players along with free food, accommodation and other training facilities.

Five regional committees have been formed to identify sporting talents across the country and train them to become international players.

Referring to Los Angeles-2028 Olympics, he said the Centre wants India to figure in the list of top 10 countries winning gold medals there.

In order to achieve the target, Khelo India centres would be set up in each district. Around 1,000 such centres have been announced so far.

“We will provide basic facilities to such centres, which could be set up either in school or college.”