BENGALURU: Union Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur on Wednesday inaugurated a multipurpose indoor stadium at Sports Authority of India (SAI), Bengaluru, and said that by June 2023, Rs 70 crore worth of projects will be dedicated to sportspersons from the campus.
At present, there is a 750-bed sports hostel at SAI, and work is on to build another 330-bed hostel for girls and a 300-bed hostel for boys. This apart, a new athletic track and hockey turf will come up on the campus, spread across 82 acres in Kengeri. He said SAI will also upgrade its services in sports medicine and sports science, all worth Rs 70 crore, and will be dedicated to sportspeople across the country.
“In all, there will be a 1380-bed hostel, the biggest sports hostel complex in the country. We are also adding new facilities. Dedicated sports training will be imparted and a one-year diploma course will also be offered. The sports budget has increased by three times compared to the past few years, with Rs 3,397 crore allocation. To popularise Khelo India, Rs 3,200 crore was sanctioned. Our aim is to win more medals in 2024 (Paris Olympics),” Thakur said.
The minister met sportspersons on the campus and inquired about the facilities being given. If they need anything more or in case of any inconvenience, he told them to reach out to his office.
‘BJP serious about Karnataka’
To a question on Congress allegations of 40 per cent commission scam, and that the BJP would not return to power in Karnataka, Thakur said the Congress can say what it wants, but the reality is that the country is progressing and turning into the world’s fifth largest economy.