Central Government Ready to Set Up ” National High Altitude Sports Training Centre” Near Himachal Pradesh: Sports Minister Anurag Thakur
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Anurag Thakur
India won its highest ever medal tally at the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics, which turned out to be a very successful Olympics, not only for the medal winners but also in terms of making headway in several new and different sports. The rise of India in sports can only go up from here, especially if world-class facilities can be provided along with high-level coaches to prepare the athletes of the future.
India’s new Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has said that the government is eager to build a state of the art ‘High Altitude Sports Training Centre” facility near Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh if the state government is ready to allot a place. Efforts are being made to recognise Himachal Pradesh as a sports hub for India, with world-class facilities being created in every district of the state.
“We will try to improve and expand sports facilities in Dharamsala in near future. We shall also work to bring more sports events to the city in near future,” said Thakur in a conference on Friday. With the need for high-altitude training becoming apparent for athletes in the coming future, Himachal Pradesh is becoming the sports hub where these facilities are provided.
Netaji Subhash High Altitude Training Centre- World Class Facilities for high altitude training
High altitude training is an important part of any athlete’s training. One of the main causes of failure for Indian athletes has been cited as high altitude problems in other countries which athletes have a hard time adjusting. High altitude sports facilities allow athletes to train for international level tournaments, helping build adaptability and endurance. As a solution to this problem, the Sports Authority of India has built a multi-sports complex in the Himalayan Ranges to train athletes.
The Netaji Subhash High Altitude Training Center was built in 1984 by SAI at Shilharoo, Shimla to train athletes for international competitions. The complex comes equipped with world-class facilities, including 2 big halls, a small fitness center, a 400m athletic track, and a synthetic hockey field.
The first hall consists of equipment for sports such as volleyball, weightlifting, badminton, basketball, and handball, while the second hall sees indoor sports such as gymnastics, table tennis, wrestling, and judo. The astroturf hockey field also allows for training and has a 400m track as well, of which the empty center is used for football practice.
The complex also has two hostel buildings for men and women which are well maintained and provides the best medical facilities as well. If the complex is put to good use, it can be the rising point for some very good, young, up-and-coming athletes.
Dharamshala Synthetic Track near Himachal Pradesh with Sports Hostel provides great potential for upcoming athletes
The 2021 World U20 Athletics Championships were held in Nairobi, a city that is located at quite a high altitude. The altitude had quite the effect on the young athletes, while India has a strong showing finishing with 3 medals. The Dharamshala sports track opposite to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium has a high possibility of being one of the best training grounds for these athletes for their future success.
The 400m world-class synthetic track in Dharamshala Himachal Pradesh was constructed at a cost of Rs. 6.5 crore. Unfortunately, the track has been poorly maintained, with parts of it being damaged already. The public is seen roaming on the track, and there is no staff to maintain the track.
It has facilities for other sports, including hammer throw, discus throw, shot put, pole vault, long jump, high jump, triple jump, and javelin throw. It also comes with hostel facilities and has the potential to be upgraded, unfortunately, neither the state nor the central government has taken any action against this yet.
High altitude training centers are the future for India, with several competitions being held in such places, and athletes need to be prepared for every situation possible.
Also read: Amit Kumar Wins Silver in Men’s 10,000m Race Walk at World Athletics U20 Championships in Nairobi
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Saivee Phatak
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