Minister of State for SportsShriNisithPramanik and Minister of Railways Smt. DarshanaJardosh laid the foundation stone of the Sports Authority of India National Center of Excellence in Coochbehar on Saturday. A Memorandum of Understanding was also signed between SAI and the Department of Railways at the event.UnionMinister for affairs and Sport Shri Anurag Singh Thakur has joined the event, along with Tokyo Olympic winners Neeraj Chopra and LovlinaBorgohain. Others present during the Coochbehar event included Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya, men’s hockey team players Manpreet Singh and Nilakanta Sharma, women’s hockey team players SalimaTete and Nikki Pradhan and favorite North Bengal heptathlon athlete Swapna Barman.
Target Olympic Podium Scheme
Shri Anurag Thakur said programs such as the Target Olympic Podium Scheme and the Khelo India program have ensured that they are made for the best athletes. “The opening of this NCOE is another big step taken especially by NisithPramanikji and Darshanaji. We wanted to make it one of the best sports centers in North Bengal and today, the foundation stone has been laid. This will help more than 1000 athletes get training sports, ”added Shri Thakur.
Expressing his delight as he laid the foundation stone of this High Performance Center, Shri Pramanik said, “Today is a historic day of sports development not only in North Bengal but also in India. Thanks to the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, his vision made this stadium possible here. In all regions, from north to south and east to west, Modiji has been watching the development of the sport as a whole. Before March 2024, we want to introduce the NCOE here with Shri Modi ji.
Neeraj Chopra has vowed to play a role in the future of the NCOE
“We believe in positivity. There is a lot of talent here. We are looking for champions here in all areas. Therefore, we are making the best infrastructure available here. Let’s work together to make the best services for our future champions. ”Added Shri Pramanik.Winner of the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra has vowed to play a role in the future of the NCOE. “When athletes start, they need a lot of infrastructure. When I started, there were not many things in our area, but things have changed now,” Neeraj Chopra said during the event. “I thank Anurag sir, Nisith sir and Darshana ma’am for establishing the SAI center. I wish the NCOE all the best and I hope that many future champions of this institution will emerge who will make our country proud.”
The National Center of Excellence will provide Coochbehar emerging athletes with excellent sports facilities, in addition to providing state-of-the-art training facilities covering 12 sports disciplines. NCOE Coochbehar also has a hostel with 100 beds for athletes including Kitchen, Dining Hall, Recreation Area, and Staff Accommodation. It also has an outdoor training facility and Indoor Sporting facilities.Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Ravi Kumar Dahiya said the NCOE was a major step forward for the development of elite athletes. “I want to thank the Railways and the Government of India. This is a big step for the development of grassroots athletes. The many athletes who come out here will make the country proud.”
Great opportunity for athletes
Boxer LovlinaBorgohain said she was looking forward to visiting the center soon. “SAI NCOE in North Bengal is a great opportunity for athletes. I also owe SAI the role they played in my life when I started with SAI Guwahati. If I can, I would really like to go to Coochbehar. And meet young athletes trained at NCOE,” he said. -Lovlina.Manpreet Singh, captain of the men’s hockey team that won a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, emphasized the importance of the NCOE in modern sports. “I would like to thank the Government for initiating this NCOE in Coochbehar. There will be 12 sports facilities including here, world-class training centers, state-of-the-art equipment, state-of-the-art equipment, etc. This is very important for modern sports. Khelo India program “I have met many young people in national camps because of Khelo India. We are on the right track.”
Local favorite Swapna Barman said, “It is a dream come true for North Bengal sport and it has come true. I cannot thank the Government, the Department of Youth Affairs and Sport, the Indian Railways and Sports Authority of India for this.”
With the establishment of the center, SAI will now have 24 NCOEs across the country. NCOEs provide specialized training to promising athletes by providing state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities, sports science support, individual diets determined by trained nutritionists and complete supervision under the best trainers, trained support staff and Best Performing Directors.
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