LG terms it ‘game-changer’, thanks PM Modi, Dr Mandaviya
RK News Service
Srinagar, Jun 25: In a major boost to the sports ecosystem of Jammu and Kashmir, the Government of India has accorded approval for the establishment of the first National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Sports for J&K, to come up in Kashmir, marking a transformative step in positioning the Union Territory as a premier destination for high-altitude sports, elite athlete development, advanced sports science, and world-class training infrastructure.
Expressing gratitude, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Dr Mansukh Mandaviya for approving the landmark project. “This state-of-the-art Centre will bring world-class infrastructure and elite coaching right to our Union Territory, training the next generation of Olympic and international champions,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
The approved NCOE is envisioned as a premier national centre for High Altitude Sports and various athletic competitions, while also serving as a major platform for skilling thousands of local youths in multiple sporting disciplines. The campus will include athletics tracks, indoor courts, football turf, hockey turfs, kabaddi and kho-kho courts, shooting range, swimming pool, taekwondo hall, sports skilling centres, integrated strength & conditioning and rehabilitation complex, hostels, sports science centre, and sports medicine centre.
The Centre is particularly significant for Jammu and Kashmir because of its strategic suitability for high altitude training, a proven advantage in building endurance, stamina, and competitive performance across several disciplines. Once established, the NCOE will enable athletes from J&K and beyond to train in an environment ideally suited for long-term athletic development, while also creating opportunities for the region to host training camps, coaching programmes, national-level competitions, and performance-based sports initiatives.
The project is also expected to have a far-reaching developmental impact beyond competitive sports by creating pathways for local youth not only as athletes but also as coaches, trainers, technical officials, physiotherapists, sports science professionals, fitness experts, and support personnel, serving both as a high-performance sports institution and as a long-term engine of youth empowerment, skilling, and social development.
The proposal was submitted by the Department in April 2026 at the Chintan Shivir held at SKICC Srinagar and was taken forward under the guidance of Chief Secretary Shri Atal Dulloo, who heads the Apex Committee for Centrally Sponsored Schemes, with the proposal being led by Commissioner Secretary Youth Services & Sports Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary. For coordinated facilitation of the next stages of the project, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Anshul Garg will be the Nodal Officer.
The sanction of the first NCOE for Jammu and Kashmir is being seen as a defining milestone in the Union Territory’s sporting journey, with J&K poised to emerge as a strong centre of excellence in sports capable of producing the next generation of Olympic, international, and national champions.
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