New Infrastructure Reforms Get Nod From The Centre. How Will It Transform The Sporting Landscape Of India And What Are Its Shortcomings? All Details Inside

For Indian sports fans, the Olympics remain the ultimate stage to witness the nation’s true sporting strength. However, in the 21st century, India’s Olympic performances have been underwhelming. Since it participated in the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympics, India has claimed 26 medals while found the top spot on the podium just twice. The Paris Olympics were especially disappointing, with 110 athletes managing only 6 medals. While cricket’s inclusion in LA28 raises hope, urgent upgrades in athletics are crucial, prompting the Sports Authority of India’s recent infrastructure push.

Last month, the Governing Body (GB) of SAI, chaired by Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, approved a wide range of infrastructure development projects nationwide.

“The decisions we are taking today are athlete-centric and aimed at ensuring that players have the best infrastructure that they need so that the medal counts that we have in mind for CWG and Olympics are met," Dr. Mandaviya said in his address to the SAI Governing Body.

Major recommendations include the procurement of Poligras Paris GT Zero hockey turf at SAI NSSC Bengaluru, a famous training hub for India’s men’s and women’s national teams. The existing electronic shooting targets with advanced laser target systems at the Karnu Singh Shooting Range for emerging shooters is also a vision under this plan. The GB is also keen to strengthen the athlete infrastructure.

Three multipurpose halls at SAI NCOE Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, SAI NSNIS Patiala, and SAI LNCPE Trivandrum to support intensive training and holistic athlete development. The Sambhajinagar facility will include a weather-proof boxing zone, indoor courts for volleyball and badminton, while Patiala hall will boost indoor training with integrated sports science and recovery support. LNCPE Trivandrum is set to gain a new hall for uninterrupted training. With an approach for all-round development of sports infrastructure, the plan isn’t just restricted to these three sporting centres.

The GB approved a 400-metre, eight-lane synthetic athletics track at SAI STC Jalpaiguri and sanctioned a new synthetic track at SAI CRC Bhopal, a centre recognized for producing Olympic judoka Avtar Singh (Rio 2016) and hockey Olympian Sameer Daad. Though the nod to revolutionize these centres might seem impressive on paper, it brings some concerns with it.

The emphasis on Olympics and CWG medals risks overlooking a long-term, 10-15 years athlete development, which is necessary for future international outings. Most of the approvals focus strongly on elite SAI centres but say little about the school, district, and state-backed academies. Also, the plan fails to acknowledge emerging games like gymnastics, wrestling, and swimming.

In essence, although the reforms focus on strengthening the “hardware” of Indian sports, the success will be measured by whether it will be matched with the changing reforms, grassroots development, and athlete welfare.