India to establish two National Centres of Excellence for female athletes

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur made a significant announcement on Friday, revealing plans to establish two National Centres of Excellence (NCOE) exclusively for female athletes.

This move aims to elevate India's prowess in sports, particularly focusing on 23 disciplines where Indian athletes have shown potential to excel on global platforms such as the Asian Games and the Olympics.

Thakur emphasized the government's commitment to sports development despite it being a state subject, highlighting the need for substantial investment in infrastructure and coaching.

Addressing the lack of trainers, coaches, and adequate facilities at the state level, Thakur stated, "We are collaborating with state governments and asked them to identify three key sports so that we have a roadmap and information on which state will promote hockey, boxing, and athletics, etc."

In order to enhance the quality of coaching and training, Thakur revealed ongoing efforts to consolidate existing NCOEs and collaborate closely with national sports federations. The aim is to place greater emphasis on producing top-tier coaches to nurture promising talent across various sports disciplines.

The Sports Authority of India has established 23 NCOEs nationwide, providing specialized training to promising athletes. These centres offer state-of-the-art infrastructure, advanced playing facilities, sports science support, personalized diet plans crafted by trained nutritionists, and overall supervision under highly qualified coaches, support staff, and High-Performance Directors.