Chandigarh (Balwinder Singh): Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced a comprehensive sports infrastructure initiative to prepare young athletes for the 2036 Olympic Games. During a high-level review meeting in Chandigarh, attended by Minister of State for Sports Gaurav Gautam, the Chief Minister approved the first phase of the Olympic 2036 Talent Mission. Under this phase, the state will establish 11 international-standard sports centres with a dedicated budget of approximately 800 crore rupees, or roughly 131 million Canadian dollars. The initiative focuses on identifying and grooming promising athletes between the ages of 13 and 16, ensuring they have access to elite training facilities and resources to maximize India’s medal tally on the global stage.
The designated training hubs will include the Sports University of Rai, which has been appointed as the nodal agency to oversee the talent mission under the direct supervision of Minister Gautam. Additional specialized facilities will be developed at the State Sports Complex in Palwal, the TDL Sports Complex in Panchkula, and regional complexes across Ambala, Kurukshetra, Jind, Gohana, and Yamunanagar, alongside a private sports academy in Karnal. Initially, 1,200 young athletes will be selected to undergo intensive training across various sports disciplines within these centres. The state government also intends to utilize this enhanced infrastructure to prepare a strong contingent of sportspeople for the 2028 Asian Games, establishing a continuous pipeline of competitive talent.
To guarantee world-class training standards, the Haryana government will recruit Olympic medal-winning athletes and elite coaches to mentor the selected youth. Beyond the primary 11 hubs, the state plans to develop 23 additional residential sports centres equipped with modern boarding and lodging facilities. Chief Chief Minister Saini emphasized that these comprehensive measures aim to eliminate financial and logistical barriers for emerging athletes. The strategy meeting concluded with a directive to senior administrative officials, including Chief Principal Secretary Rajesh Khullar and Principal Secretary Arun Gupta, to ensure the swift implementation and strict quality control of the infrastructure projects.
