Sports university to come up in city

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: After Pune, an international-level Sports University will come up in the city as per the announcement made by Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister Devendra Fadnavis while presenting the budget on Thursday.

A financial provision of Rs 50 crore was made in the budget for the university which will be developed in Waluj. It may be noted that the then CM Devendra Fadnavi had made an

announcement of setting up a world-class university in the city in the year 2014-19. Land of 170 acres was selected at Karodi for the university.

There was a change of guard in the State in 2019 and the then Finance Minister Ajit Pawar shifted and established at Balewadi in Pune.

The decision faced a lot of criticism. The then district guardian minister Subhash Desai justified the decision of shifting the university to Pune. He had given an assurance that the second sports university would be established in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Again, there was a change in the Government.

Now, with theannouncement by Finance Minister in the budget presentation paved the

way for establishing the university here.

The sportspersons from Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh will get facilities for practice at the international-level sports university which will come up on 170 acres of land in gut 24 of Karodi area of the district.

The university will also offer different courses which included sports, physical education, sports science, technology, administration, management, medium and communication and training.

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City's sports officials were cock-a-hoop at the news of the much-awaited Sports University getting a 'push'.

A delighted Uday Dongre, who is also a Shiv Chhatrapati awardee in fencing, told Lokmat Times: "The Sports University will have the flexibility to open departments in consonance with the advances and developments in sports science, sports medicine and allied areas. The

University, once developed, will create more job opportunities for the budding sportspersons, coaches and officials.

"Echoing similar views, Makarand Joshi, another Shiv Chhatrapati awardee (in gymnastics), said the Sports University will be the first one of its kind to promote sports education in the areas of sports sciences, sports technology, sports management and sports coaching.

"Physical education colleges in the state will also get affiliated to the Sports University and it would impart undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes in sports coaching, sports sciences and other subjects in various disciplines."

Senior athletics coach Dayanand Kamble was ecstatic, as well. "We badly need the Sports University. It would help in conducting sports training programmes to enable athletes to enhance their performance and attain excellence in sports."