SAI chief plans sports reboot

“We want to focus mainly on scouting talent and recalibrate sports structure as we plan ahead. We’re looking at talent in the 10-14 age group for fresh inductions into our training centres,” Mr Injeti Srinivas, Director General, Sports Authority of India, told this newspaper.

Mr Srinivas promised the talent scouting would be intense and elaborate and that former players and coaches would be roped in for the task. “It’s a challenge no doubt but we are up for it,” he said.

The SAI chief was in Hyderabad on Wednesday, and met Mr Dinakar Babu and Ms Rekha Rani Gorle, the Vice-chairmen and Managing Directors of the Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Sports Authorities respectively.

Mr Srinivas said “the Sports Training Centre (STC) at Saroornagar would be shifted to the GMC Balayogi Stadium in Gachibowli, which is equipped with modern infrastructure for hockey and athletics.”

Those two sports (the first one being the national game) are on top of the list. “Badminton could stay at Saroornagar, perhaps as a day-boarding scheme even as we revive the level of training. There is enormous potential but a lot will depend on the talent we scout. Kabaddi could be moved to Gachibowli or stay at Saroornagar under a similar scheme as badminton. This is with a view to making optimum utilisation of the Saroornagar facility,” Mr Srinivas said.

Plans are also afoot to convert the cycling velodrome at Osmania University into a satellite academy of the National hub in New Delhi, Mr Srinivas said. Revival of the STCs is also on card. “The STCs need to be strengthened in terms of intake, infrastructure and increase in disciplines,” Mr Srinivas said.

“The Telangana State Sports School at Hakimpet and the regional ones at Karimnagar, Khammam and Warangal too will get a boost,” Mr Dinakar Babu added.

With regard to AP, Mr Srinivas admitted infrastructure was an issue. “The STCs at Visakhapatnam, Eluru and Kurnool need to be refurbished,” he said.

Speaking about her interaction with the SAI head, Ms Rani said till the time infrastructure of the state capital is developed, AP would get 50 per cent quota in the training centres in Hyderabad, which has state of the art facilities.

AP, it looks like, is headed for something similar though. “The Government of India has been generous to promise upgradation of infrastructure. There are proposals to build a multipurpose hall in Vijayawada, a hockey stadium in Tirupati, an archery academy in the coastal belt as well,” Ms Rani said. Should everything fall in place, there should be a considerable increase in the number of sportspersons from the two states standing on prestigious podiums.