A sports university to be established in Patiala city has finally begun to take shape with the Punjab government identifying the site for the same, a state minister said today.
“The university would commence its operations from the next session in the building of physical education college in Patiala,” Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said.
“The university, a dream project of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, will be a milestone in terms of revolutionising the sports scenario of Punjab and restore the state to its earlier numero uno position in the sporting arena,” Sodhi said in a statement.
He said a site has been identified at Sidhuwal village near Patiala for the establishment of the university.
“The vice chancellor of the university would be L S Ranawat, who is the ex-executive director of the National Institute of Sports (in Patiala),” the minister said.
He said the focus areas for the new university would be sports science, sports psychology and sports management to keep pace with the emerging trends in the sector.
He said the university administration would concentrate on research to again make Punjab the leading state in sports.
“The course would be prepared with assistance from the Loughborough University of England. All the physical education colleges of Punjab would be affiliated with the new university,” he stated.
He said the chief minister has been a sportsman and is leading the efforts to realise the project.
“Not only the chief minister but ex-general secretary of the Indian Olympic Association and five-time Olympian Randhir Singh is also associated with this project of great significance,” he added.
