DELHI APPOINTS K MALLESWARI VICE-CHANCELLOR OF UPCOMING SPORTS VARSITY

NEW DELHI: The Delhi government on Wednesday named weightlifter Karnam Malleswari, the first woman to win a medal for India at the Olympics, the vice-chancellor of the upcoming Delhi Sports University.

The announcement came after a meeting between chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, his deputy Manish Sisodia and Malleswari on Wednesday, which was celebrated as International Olympics Day.

“Our purpose to establish the Delhi Sports University is to build and create athletes in our country who will make our nation proud,” said Sisodia as he announced Malleswari’s appointment.

The state cabinet in October 2019 passed an order of setting up the university in Mundka. Kejriwal at the time, said the university will offer field-specific degrees to interested students that will be at par with those offered in other courses at the graduate, postgraduate and doctoral levels.

Construction work on the university has been disrupted because of the pandemic, and has not started yet. Sisodia inspected the proposed construction site in October last year. Sisodia, who is also the state education minister, on Wednesday said the government will focus on “providing a space for individuals to build their athletic talent”, with the aim of nurturing at least “50 Olympians”.

Malleswari, who won a bronze medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics -- India’s only medal in that edition of the Games -- has been conferred the Padma Shri, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, and the Arjuna award. Sharing her vision for the university, Malleswari said that university officials will start visiting schools as soon as they reopen, to scout for talent. The university plans to identify athletic acumen in students.