Lok Sabha Question No. 38 (STARRED), answered on 2015-12-01
Subject: Facilities in SAI Units
Ministry: YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS
Asked by: B. SREERAMULU, AJAY NISHAD

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (DEPARTMENT OF SPORTS)

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 38 TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2015

## Facilities in SAI Units

- *38.  SHRI B. SRIRAMULU: SHRI AJAY NISHAD:

Will the Minister of YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the services and facilities available in various units of Sports Authroity of India (SAI) are at par with international standards, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor along with the measures taken to improve the facility.
- (b) the  nature and details of  the complaints received and follow up action taken, in various units of SAI during each of the last three years and the current year. and
- (c) the  details  of  proposals/action  plan  for  setting  up  of  SAI Region/Centres especially in the backward States?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR YOUTH

AFFAIRS AND SPORTS

(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK ON 01.12.2015 REGARDING FACILITIES IN SAI UNITS ASKED BY SHRI

SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 38 TO BE ASWERED B. SREERAMULU AND SHRI AJAY NISHAD.

- (a)  to  (c):  The  requirement  of  sports  infrastructure,  services  and facilities varies with level of users.  For national athletes, who are preparing for participation in major international events, world level standards  and  specifications  are  provided.  It  is  not  feasible  to maintain similar standard at lower level of sports programmes, i.e. schemes like STCs and SAGs which undertake talent identification and development to help the sportspersons become national level athletes.    Accordingly,  training  infrastructure  and  equipment  is normally not on par at such centres with international specifications meant for international competitions.

SAI  organises  National  Coaching  Camps  for  the  elite  sports persons  /  teams  preparing  for  International  competitions.    SAI Centres where such training camp are organised have infrastructure,  services  and  facilities at  par  with  international standards,  which  are  normally  regional  centres.      Where  ever various  SAI  STCs  are  being  used  for  holding  national  camps,  in these  places  international  standard  infrastructure,  services  and facilities are provided. Some of the examples are given below:-

- i) Wushu National coaching camp was organised at SAI Imphal recently  -  the  Wushu  training  facilities  were  upgraded  to International  Standard  by  providing  world  class  Wushu arena and state-of-the-art high end equipment.
2. ii) Taekwondo  National  coaching  camp  was  organised  at  SAI Aurangabad recently - the training facilities were upgraded to International Standard by proving world class Taekwondo arena and state-of-the-art high end equipment.
3. iii)    Next  National  coaching  camp  for  Rowing  at  Jagatpur  in December, 2015. Accordingly, the centre has been upgraded with infrastructure facilities, equipment etc. at par with the
4. International standards.

Infrastructure facilities in STCs and SAGs in the country are of the required standard.

A  few  isolated  complaints  have  been  received  from  time  to time  regarding  maintenance  of  sports  hostels  and  facilities,  etc.

Sports Authority of  India  provides  regular  maintenance  grant  upto Rs.20.00 lacs to each training centre for the upkeep of the existing facilities. However, for the centres which require major repairs/ renovation, the proposals are examined on case to case basis and works for upgradation/ creation of facilities are taken up accordingly. For the first time, Sports Authority of India has decided to provide additional funds to the tune of Rs.25.00 lacs for each of its centres  in  first  phase  to  take  up  immediate  repairs  for upgradation of the existing facilities. In order to expedite the process of maintenance / upgradation of SAI centres,  Nodal  Officers  for  the  respective  Centres  have  been appointed and based on their quarterly reports, the centres which require  immediate  repairs/renovations  are  provided  with  grants accordingly. Sports  Authority  of  India  is  implementing  its  various  Sports Promotional  Schemes  in  the  country  through  its  ten  Regional Centres and two Academic Institutions spread across the country. The Special Area Games (SAG) Scheme being implemented by SAI identifies talent from the rural, tribal, coastal and hilly region of the country and nurture them for excellence through its  SAG Centres.

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