Haryana to undertake state-wide mapping of sports infrastructure

Chief secretary, Anurag Rastogi who chaired the first meeting of the state sports administrative committee said that this would enable wider use of existing sports facilities in schools

The Haryana government is planning to undertake state-wide mapping of sports infrastructure, prepare a common state sports calendar, develop a structured state talent pathway framework to identify and nurture sporting talent. A state sports portal will be set up to facilitate the mapping.

A major feature of the new framework will be the development of a state talent-pathway framework to systematically identify and nurture promising sportspersons. (HT File)

Chief secretary, Anurag Rastogi who chaired the first meeting of the state sports administrative committee said that this would enable wider use of existing sports facilities in schools, colleges, panchayats and urban bodies by recognised athletes and sports clubs.

A comprehensive state-wide mapping of facilities under the sports department, education department, panchayati raj institutions, urban local bodies, haryana shehri vikas pradhikaran (HSVP), universities and other agencies will help identify infrastructure gaps and support more scientific planning for future development, Rastogi said.

The committee decided to examine norms for earmarking adequate sports space in new layouts and colonies in coordination with the town and country planning department and HSVP, with the objective of ensuring that sports infrastructure is factored into urban planning from the initial stage itself.

Principal secretary, Sports, Amneet P Kumar said that the proposed sports portal will serve as a unified digital platform for Haryana’s sports ecosystem, bringing together information on sports infrastructure and assets, tournaments and sports calendars, coaches, equipment, sportspersons and their achievements. Departments, boards and corporations associated with sports infrastructure will nominate nodal officers to ensure that information is updated regularly. A state-wide exercise will also be undertaken to build a comprehensive baseline database of existing sports infrastructure and assets, strengthening planning and monitoring at the state level, she said.

Rastogi said the state will focus on maximising the use of sports infrastructure already available across Haryana. Sports facilities in schools, colleges, panchayats and municipal institutions will be brought under a shared-use mechanism, enabling recognised athletes and sports clubs to access them outside institutional hours. “We will prepare a consolidated state sports calendar covering tournaments, competitions, training camps and other sporting activities organised by different departments and institutions. The common calendar will help prevent scheduling conflicts, improve the utilisation of facilities and resources and enable greater participation by athletes in sporting events across the state,’’ Rastogi added.

A major feature of the new framework will be the development of a state talent-pathway framework to systematically identify and nurture promising sportspersons. The pathway will begin with competitions and talent identification at the school and panchayat levels, followed by progression through district and state-level centres, with the objective of preparing talented athletes for national and international competitions.