Ranchi, May 4: The ball has been set rolling for a much-awaited sports university in Jharkhand.
Chief minister Raghubar Das today announced that Central Coalfields Limited (CCL), a Coal India subsidiary, would partner with the state government to revive the world-class games infrastructure in the capital and a formal agreement would be inked as early as the end of this week.
Das was speaking on the sidelines of a tripartite agreement among the state and coal and railway ministries on quicker transport of the fuel on tracks this afternoon. Union minister of state for coal Piyush Goyal, who is on a two-day trip to the state, has been invited to grace the deal between the sports department and Central Coalfields.
"We aim to sign an agreement on May 8. The government and the PSU will share costs equally. The university for sports will train around 2,000," the chief minister said.
Goyal confirmed that Central Coalfields had agreed to Jharkhand's request and a detailed plan would be drawn up for the academy in the near future. "It will be a 50:50 joint venture. The cradle will provide education as well as training in various sports to the candidates," he added.
Ever since the 34th National Games in Ranchi, the state government has been pursuing the sports academy project to save the multi-crore infrastructure at Jaipal Singh Munda Mega Sports Complex in Hotwar, which houses nine stadiums, and the Astroturf and Birsa Munda Football Stadium in Morabadi. Many of these were built much before the February 2011 Games and need urgent upkeep.
State sports minister Amar Kumar Bauri said Jharkhand was a talent pool in games like hockey and lawn bowl, and it was a great thing for Central Coalfields to show interest in the sports academy project. "This public sector undertaking was very accommodative to our scheme of things," Bauri said when asked why Central Coalfields instead of other PSUs or corporate houses with better track record in sports promotion.
Chief secretary Rajiv Gauba called the imminent deal "a major move and a welcome step" towards revamping sports education in the state.
