Amid Olympics buzz, UP plans Olympic-grade sports infrastructure in Noida

Even as International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Nita Ambani and Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur have pitched for India to host the 2036 Olympics, the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) has planned to develop an Olympic-grade sports infrastructure in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The YEIDA Master Plan 2041 has proposed to build a modern Olympic City and Olympic Village comprising 29 stadiums and nearly 5,500 lodging/housing units spanning 5,000 hectares in Noida.

The expansive sports infrastructure will come up in the vicinity of the upcoming Jewar International Airport in Noida, offering seamless and modern road and air connectivity for the prospective sporting extravaganza.

Earlier, Thakur indicated that India will bid for the 2036 Olympics due to a marked improvement in domestic sports infrastructure, skilled human capital, and composite growth.

"The Master Plan has been prepared in the hope that India may host big sporting events in the future, such as the Olympics. We have proposed to develop world-class sports infrastructure, which will have a multiplier effect on the economy and GDP," YEIDA Chief Executive Officer Arun Vir Singh told Business Standard.

He, however, clarified that the Master Plan was not related to talks about India potentially hosting the mega sporting event, nor had the Authority received any word in this respect from either the government, sports authority, or the Olympic Association.

He said the Master Plan has been approved by the YEIDA Board and is now at the approval stage with the state government before further actions can be taken.

YEIDA is the designated nodal agency for facilitating a bouquet of projects including industrial, housing, infrastructure, etc., in the vicinity of the 165-km Yamuna Expressway that connects Agra with the Noida region in UP.

Meanwhile, the proposed Olympic City and Village will also comprise facilities such as sports clubs, sports training facilities, convention centres, shopping malls, theme parks, green landscapes, etc. The residential arcade will be designed to host a large number of participating sportspersons, coaches, and officials during flagship events.

Without commenting on the expected investment, Singh said the infrastructure would be created by the government without resorting to the public-private partnership (PPP) model or seeking direct investment from private companies.

He said the Jewar airport would provide impetus to the YEIDA Master Plan, with faster air connectivity and catalysing economic development in the Noida region.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has been zealously positioning the state as a major sporting hub in the league of Indian states.

Recently, UP hosted India’s first-ever global biking event, MotoGP Bharat, at the Buddh International Circuit, Greater Noida, from September 22 to 24. The event generated economic activity to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore during the three-day event.

The Chief Minister attended the final day's event and handed over the trophy to the winner. He also presided over a business conclave on the sidelines of MotoGP Bharat with the CEOs of prominent global and domestic companies.

MotoGP stands for Grand Prix motorcycle racing and is reckoned as the gold standard in bike racing globally. It is the oldest established motorsport world championship. The annual event started in 1949 at the Isle of Man TT.