7 States & 2 UTs upgraded to KISCE; Rijiju hopes 'It will further India's Olympic dream'

Under the Khelo India scheme, sports centres from nine States and Union Territories will be upgraded to the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCE) by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The nine States and Union Territories selected by the Ministry are - Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Goa, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Tripura and Jammu & Kashmir. 

"The government is taking the two-pronged approach of developing the grass-root level infrastructure on the one hand and creating facilities for sporting excellence on the other. The KISCEs will be world-class facilities where the best sporting talent from all over the country will be trained to further India's Olympic dreams," said Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju. 

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Nine Sports Facilities to be upgraded to KISCE

All the States and Union Territories were instructed to select the best sports centres available to them to turn it into a world-class centre by developing sporting facilities and upgrading to KISCE under the Khelo India scheme. The selection of the sports centres was made on the basis of the quality of infrastructure, past performances as well as the management & sports culture in the State and Union Territory. Here's the list of sports centre's that will be upgraded to KISCE under the Khelo India scheme:

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• Andhra Pradesh - Dr YSR Sports School, YSR District, Kadapa
• Chandigarh - Hockey Stadium, Sector - 42
• Chhattisgarh - Rajya Khel Prashikshan Kendra, Bilaspur
• Goa - SAG Sports Complex, Campal, Panaji
• Haryana - Motilal Nehru School of Sports, Rai, Sonipat

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• Himachal Pradesh - Indoor Stadium Luhnu Sports Complex, Bilaspur
• Puducherry - Rajiv Gandhi School of Sports, Uppallam
• Tripura - Dasarath Dev State Sports Complex, Badharghat, Agartala
• Jammu & Kashmir -
• i) M.A. Stadium, Fencing Academy, Jammu
• ii) J & K Sports Council water Sports Academy, Srinagar

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Earlier, the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports had selected 14 centres to be upgraded to KISCEs under the Khelo India scheme. With the newly selected centres, a total of 23 States and Union Territories will have 24 KISCEs. Under the Khelo India scheme, the upgraded sports facilities will be provided with sports equipment, high-performance managers, coaches, sports scientists and technical support staff among other things. 

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Khelo India Scheme

The Khelo India initiative is aimed at reviving the sports culture in the country at the grass-root level. The idea is to turn India into becoming a powerful sporting nation by establishing a strong framework for all sports played in the country. Under the scheme, states are provided with better infrastructure and training to increase participation in sports and allow players to achieve their potential. The Khelo India programme also aims to promote rural and tribal games as well as sports for women and people with disabilities. 

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(With inputs from ANI)