The Punjab State Sports Department is launching a significant initiative to bring sports to the grassroots level, aiming to nurture a new generation of athletes. The ambitious project, valued at approximately 147 crore rupees, plans to establish 1,000 sports nurseries across the state, focusing on children aged 7-12 years.
Under the New Sports Policy 2023, the department intends to provide sports facilities and coaching to children residing in villages, ensuring accessibility regardless of location or economic resources. Recognizing that currently, urban and more affluent children have greater access to coaching and facilities, the initiative aims to democratize these opportunities for a broader talent pool.
Punjab Sports Department deputy director, Parminder Singh Sidhu, explained the strategy of establishing nurseries on a cluster basis, serving approximately 10-12 villages. This approach seeks to bring proper sports infrastructure and coaching closer to the homes of aspiring young athletes.
The project, with an allocated budget of 147 crore rupees, envisions offering coaching, equipment, and diet provisions for 60 children in each nursery. The ultimate goal is to identify promising talents from these nurseries and provide advanced training at the centers of excellence, grooming them into world-class players.
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District sports officers are actively participating in the initiative, suggesting the distribution of various sports in the nurseries based on local preferences and interests. The first phase involves establishing 250 nurseries, with 12 pilot project nurseries across different districts nearing completion. Once formalities are finalized, the groundwork for these nurseries will commence, marking a crucial step toward fostering sporting talent at the grassroots level.
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