Jamshedpur, Feb. 21: Jharkhand would soon have not only a state-sponsored hockey and football academy but plans are also afoot for setting up proper centres for training coaches on the lines of National Institute of Sports (NIS), Patiala.

The state aims to provide full-fledged football and hockey academies to nurture fresh talents. The sports department has also initiated the process in this regard and a two-member team would soon visit important institutions and academies across the country to get a first-hand account of the state of affairs.

Apart from opening up academies and centres for training coaches, the team would also acquire technical details regarding maintenance of the mega sports complex that is coming up at Hotwar in the state capital for the forthcoming National Games.

Officials fear that once the Games are over, maintaining such a huge infrastructure would need expertise for which the team needs to acquire the technical know-how.

The committee would comprise the district sports officer, Dhanbad, Sarwar Imam, and the Jharkhand Olympic Association member and Jharkhand State Women’s Hockey Association treasurer, Suresh Kumar.

Sports department officials said Imam would be sent to NIS, Patiala, and Laxmi Bai National Institute of Physical Education, Gwalior, while Kumar would be sent to the hockey academy run at Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi and the football academy in Paghwara, Punjab.

The deputy director, sports department, Shekhar Jamuar, told The Telegraph: “Both members have been asked to submit a report within a fortnight based on which the department would initiate further action.”