1,000 sports academies to be set up in country: Anurag

Yamunanagar, August 29

Anurag Thakur, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Youth Affairs and Sports, has said 1,000 sports academies will be opened across the country under the Khelo India programme.

He said former players would be appointed as coaches in these academies. “As many as 267 centres/academies have so far been opened in the country. Of them, 17 are for weightlifting,” he said.

The minister, who had come to Yamunanagar district last evening, inaugurated Karnam Malleswari Weightlifting and Powerlifting High Performance Training and Coaching Centre (Khelo India-accredited academy) at Chahron village of the district. The academy was started by weightlifter Karnam Malleswari,

the first Indian woman to win a medal (bronze) at the 2000 Olympics.

“The sports budget has been increased by the Centre from Rs 864 crore to Rs 3,000 crore,” he said.