Ultramodern research centre to boost sports industry in city soon, says minister Sodhi
Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, December 12
Managing Director of NIVIA Rajesh Kharbanda today told Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi during an interactive session that the state as a sports space was lacking behind.
“No works are being done at the ground level. There are no leagues of the state even if Punjab’s players are playing at the national level.
He said: “If sports events would be held here, only then the sports industry would flourish, and there was no other way to do that. Even infrastructural growth is not there,” he said, adding that leagues must be organised here.
Another industrialist said such was the scenario now that even Pakistan was ahead of the local sports industry. “There is no infrastructure and no change has been discussed in the past 20 years. The sports industry is in a bad condition,” he rued.
After listening to the problems, the minister said to give a fillip to the sports good manufacturing industry in the state, the state government would soon set up an ultramodern research and development (R&D) centre.
Interacting with sports good manufacturers here today, he said equipped with hi-end machinery, the centre would be set up on scientific lines.
He said the state government would tie up with countries such as Germany, the US and others for providing technology and expertise to run the centre.
The minister said the state government would also rope in big sports brands such as Adidas, Nike, Gilbert, Puma, Bayer and BASF for collaborating with the sports goods manufacturers in the state in general and the city in particular. He said it would help give a push to exports of sports good manufacturing units.
Sodhi reiterated the commitment of the state government to give boost to the sports industry in the city, adding that strenuous efforts would be made to take current exports of the industry to Rs 14,000 crore from the existing Rs 1,400 crore annually.
Dwelling on another agenda, the minister said the state government would facilitate setting up of a sports park in the district on village land.
Meanwhile, the minister also announced that the state government would explore the feasibility of giving relaxation to the industry for floor area ratio (FAR), height of industry and others.
The minister said the project to develop Burlton Park as an ultramodern sports hub was already on the cards as over Rs 250 crore was being spent on it. He said besides grounds, the hub would also house showrooms where sports good manufacturers could showcase their products.
