Mansukh Mandaviya Unveils Major Sports Infrastructure Upgrade at SAI Gandhinagar

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated a series of new high performance sports infrastructure facilities at the Sports Authority of India’s National Centre of Excellence (SAI NCoE) in Gandhinagar, strengthening the government’s push toward athlete centric sports development and para sports expansion in India.

The newly launched facilities include a Para Athlete Hostel, Centralised Dining Hall, Strength and Conditioning Hall, Multipurpose Training Hall, and Meditation Park. Officials said the integrated ecosystem has been designed to support athlete recovery, nutrition, sports science, mental wellbeing, and advanced training requirements under one campus structure.

Addressing athletes and officials during the inauguration, Mansukh Mandaviya said India’s sporting rise is being driven by scientific training methods, modern infrastructure, and inclusive athlete development policies under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership. He described the newly inaugurated facilities as “investments in India’s future champions.”

The Gandhinagar centre has increasingly emerged as a major national hub for para sports development. According to the ministry, SAI NCoE Gandhinagar currently supports disciplines including para athletics, para badminton, para swimming, para powerlifting, para fencing, and para table tennis. The facility is also used for Kabaddi, Handball, and Kho Kho training programs.

Officials highlighted that the new Multipurpose Training Hall will primarily support Kabaddi training and tactical preparation, while the Strength and Conditioning Hall has been developed to improve injury prevention, endurance, recovery, and athlete performance through scientific methodologies.

The Sports Ministry also confirmed that the Para Athlete Hostel and Centralised Dining Hall were developed with support from the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, reflecting a coordinated approach toward inclusive athlete welfare and infrastructure expansion.

The inauguration comes as India continues increasing investments in elite sports preparation and long term Olympic development programs through upgraded SAI facilities and regional training centres nationwide.

Sportscape feelsthat India’s focus is gradually shifting from isolated infrastructure creation to integrated high performance sporting ecosystems designed around athlete recovery, sports science, and holistic preparation.

Facilities like SAI NCoE Gandhinagar could play a major role in India’s long term Olympic and Paralympic ambitions if supported with sustained coaching, governance, and athlete development systems.