Cyclists in action during the 33rd National Games at Rupnath Brahma Cycle Velodrome in the Tepesia Sports Complex in Guwahati. File picture

Guwahati, Dec. 6: The Rupnath Brahma Cycle Velodrome in the Tepesia Sports Complex is finally set to be utilised with the Lakshmibai National University of Physical Education proposing to introduce cycling as a subject in its academic curriculum.

Confirming the development, Cycling Association of Assam (CAA) secretary J.N. Borchetia, told The Telegraph that the university’s Guwahati campus has committed the CAA to introduce the subject in the third year curriculum of the four-year course.

“We had a discussion with the Gwalior-based vice-chancellor of the university Maj. Gen. Sarabjit Singh Pawa during his recent visit here. He has already issued the necessary directive to the Guwahati campus to introduce the subject. It will be the basics in the third year course, but there will be a provision for specialisation in the subject on the same campus,” Borchetia said.

Efforts to contact Pawa and the campus authorities here proved futile.

The university’s academic curriculum includes basics in almost all the major sports disciplines like football, cricket, basketball, hockey, volleyball, badminton and table tennis.

“The introduction of the subject will not only ensure utilisation of the velodrome, which has been lying unused since the 33rd National Games was held here in February 2007, but the infrastructure will also thus be maintained. At present, it is lying totally unutilised and needs maintenance,” Borchetia, who is also a senior official in the state sports department, said.

The Guwahati campus, which happens to be the only operational campus of the university outside Gwalior, was set up on a temporary basis at Tepesia Sports Complex in July this year and two batches are already attending regular classes there.

The first batch had attended their first year academic session at the Gwalior main campus of the university.

The campus would later on be shifted to its permanent structure to be built on a plot of land in or around the capital city, which the state government will allot.

This is the first time the velodrome is going to be used after the National Games. The other infrastructure in the sports complex — an indoor stadium, a sports hostel, an archery range, a kho-kho and kabaddi arena and football practice turf — were also lying unutilised since the National Games till the university campus was set up.

There are, at present, about 100 students enrolled on the Guwahati campus. The third year course will commence from the next academic session in July.

The CAA, too, has beefed up activities in the run-up to the forthcoming Assam State Games later this month and Jharkhand National Games in February.

The CAA has been organising a coaching camp for about 15 selected players from across the state here since November 8 and it will continue till December 12.

“We have invited leading cyclists from the districts for the camp, which we are conducting on the express highway and in the Nilachal hills. The cyclists will be taken to the velodrome in the final phase for acclimatisation later this week,” Borchetia said.

“They will first take the track in the State Games in Nagaon later this month. We will groom some more players from their respective districts ahead of the National Games whom we will test for the final squad for the apex meet of the nation in February,” he added.