Sports University to come up in UP soon

The state government is mulling to start a sports university with an emphasis on courses pertaining to Indian sports.

The university will have a variety of courses pertaining to sports, which will provide a number of employment avenues to youngsters.

The university will also have course in sports management on the lines of MBA.

“The Uttar Pradesh government is planning to start a sports university to boost sports and sports management. We are searching 125 acre land for this. The university will emphasise on traditional Indian sports. Apart from this, different courses related to sports will also be started,” UP Sports Minister Chetan Chauhan told PTI.

“The university will also offer Bachelors in Physical Education. For the first time, we are planning to start a course in sports management, which is quite similar to MBA,” he said.

Stressing on the importance of sports management, Chauhan said, “A course in sports management assumes significance, as we avail services of event managers to organise tournaments. However, since the organisers are not well versed with the nuances and rules of different sports, the tournament does not match up with our expectations. After being imparted training in a course of sports management, these shortcomings will be removed.”

Asked whether cricket will feature in the curriculum of the University, Chauhan, the former Indian cricketer said, “Cricket will be there. But, the focus will be on traditional Indian sports.”

The Uttar Pradesh Sports minister said special training programmes will be held for coaches as well, so that sports persons who retire from active sports, may don the role of coaches after acquiring necessary skills.

Former athletes and sports persons will be roped in as coaches for the sports university. “We are also planning to call foreign sports persons and trainers as guest faculty,” he said.

“All necessary paperwork regarding the university has been almost done. Once we get the 125 acre land, construction of the sports university will begin. Help from the Centre will also be taken for the construction of the sports university,” Chauhan said.