Michael Johnson

New Delhi: A galaxy of Olympic legends, led by sprinter Michael Johnson and gymnast Nadia Comaneci, have joined hands to help India grow into a sporting superpower.

The duo, along with other greats such as hurdlers Edwin Moses and Nawal El Moutawakel and decathlete Daley Thomson, were inducted on Thursday as directors of a $60 million sports academy, to be set up by the Sahara group in Maharashtra.

Former Indian skippers Sunil Gavaskar, Kapil Dev and current captain Sourav Ganguly will also be part of the project, which is expected to begin operations next year.

The group, which sponsors India’s cricket and hockey teams, said the aim of the academy near Lonavala was to “adopt, nurture and develop sports”.

The project will have coaching schools for hockey, football, cricket, athletics, badminton, table tennis, volleyball, swimming, basketball, golf and squash, a company release said.

The schools will spot promising youngsters and train them to develop into world-class sportsmen, besides taking care of their education, Sahara chief Subroto Roy said. Johnson, Comaneci, Moses, Moutawakel and Thomson will visit the academy on a regular basis to monitor the progress of the young athletes, a Sahara official said. (AFP)