In order to give a facelift to the existing Sports School and College at Jalandhar, Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today asked the Sports Department to develop these institutes as Sports Institute of Jalandhar.
Presiding over a high-level meeting of the Sports and Education departments to develop 'Integrated Education and Sports Hub' on nearly 40 acres of land on Kapurthala Road in Jalandhar, the Chief Minister said that the Sports Institute of Jalandhar would be completely different from the Centre of Sports Excellence to be developed in the city.
Expressing concern over the "dilapidated infrastructure" in Sports School and College, Badal said that these institutes were established to produce word class players from the region but with the passage of time they have lost their sheen.
He said that the need of the hour was to develop both the Sports School and College on the lines of newly set up Sports School at Ghudda near Bathinda to provide ultra modern sports facilities to the young players.
Laying thrust on the complete overhaul of these premier sports institutes, the Chief Minister asked the officers of the Sports Department to rope in the experts from National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.
He said that apart from the athletics track and grounds for football, volleyball, basketball, hockey and other games, the students should be provided with an ultra modern gymnasium.
