By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 28 Aug: Uttarakhand will have its first Sports University in the coming months. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami will lay the foundation stone of the ambitious institution at Gaulapar in Haldwani on the occasion of National Sports Day tomorrow. A grand ceremony is being organised at the International Stadium in Gaulapar, where the foundation stone and bhoomi pujan for the first phase of construction of the Sports University will be performed.
Very significantly, ahead of the formal beginning of the project, the state government has also approved 94 academic, non-teaching, coaching and administrative posts, including that of the Vice-Chancellor, paving the way for the university to become operational soon.
At present, Maharana Pratap Sports College in Dehradun is the biggest sports institution in Uttarakhand.
The Sports University is being seen as a major institution for developing Uttarakhand’s sporting talent by providing high-level coaching, modern sports infrastructure and facilities related to sports science within the State itself. The institution is expected to provide promising sportspersons with access to scientific training, sports management and modern coaching facilities, reducing their dependence on institutions outside the State for advanced training and professional support.
At tomorrow’s ceremony medal-winning sportspersons in international and national competitions will also be presented their cash awards through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT). The scholarships will also be provided to players selected under the Mukhyamantri Udyaman Khiladi Evam Protsahan Yojana. Outstanding sportspersons and coaches selected for the Devbhoomi Khel Ratna and Devbhoomi Dronacharya Awards for the financial year 2024-25 will also be honoured with mementoes, citations and cheques carrying the prize money.
The State Government has issued the formal Government Order for creation of 94 posts for the university following the approval of the Governor. The order, issued by Special Principal Secretary, Sports, Amit Sinha, provides for posts across the coaching, academic, sports science, administrative and support wings of the proposed university.
The largest component is the Sports Coaching Wing, for which 39 posts have been sanctioned. These include 13 posts each of Principal Coach/Chief Coach, Coach/Trainer and Assistant Coach/Trainer. The creation of these posts is significant as coaching is expected to be one of the principal components of the university, with the institution intended to provide structured and scientific training to promising athletes across different sporting disciplines.
A further 14 academic and faculty posts have been approved for the university. These include the posts of Professor, Associate Professor and Assistant Professor in the faculties of Sports Management and Sports Science. The academic component is intended to provide a broader educational framework to the institution, enabling students and sportspersons to receive formal exposure to sports management, sports science and other disciplines associated with professional sport.
The university will also have a dedicated support system for the fitness, medical care and recovery of sportspersons. Twelve posts have been sanctioned for this purpose, including those of sports physician, physiotherapist, sports psychologist, nurse and ward assistant. The inclusion of these positions is expected to ensure that training and performance are supported by scientific assessment, injury management, rehabilitation, psychological support and appropriate medical care.
Posts have also been approved for the administrative and financial functioning of the university. These include the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Deputy Registrar, Controller of Examinations and Finance Officer, besides other positions required for the day-to-day administration of the institution. The creation of these posts is expected to establish the basic administrative structure required for the functioning of the university as a full-fledged higher educational and sports institution.
In addition to the academic, coaching and administrative positions, non-teaching and support staff posts have also been created. Services required for maintenance of sports grounds and other facilities will be supplemented through outsourcing. The university will engage 20 ground staff, 10 MEP personnel, 15 multi-tasking employees and two nutritionists through outsourcing arrangements. The presence of nutritionists is particularly significant in the context of the university’s proposed focus on scientific sports training, as nutrition and recovery have become integral components of high-performance sport.
The establishment of the university also fulfils a commitment made by the State Government during the Olympic Kanwar Yatra organised in Sawan with the resolve to work towards Uttarakhand’s aspiration of contributing to the country’s preparations for the 2036 Olympics.
Commenting on this development, Sports Minister Rekha Arya asserted that the commitment made during the yatra is now taking concrete shape and that the hurdles in starting the university have been removed with the blessings of Lord Shiva. She added that the university will provide facilities for sports science, sports management and modern coaching. This will give talented players from the State better training opportunities and help them progress at the international level.
The proposed university at Gaulapar is being seen as an important addition to Uttarakhand’s existing sports infrastructure. The State has produced sportspersons who have represented the country at national and international levels, but athletes have often had to travel outside Uttarakhand for specialised coaching, sports science support and advanced training facilities. The new institution is expected to address this gap by bringing coaching, academic education, sports science, fitness, rehabilitation and sports management under one institutional framework.
