To preserve the rich sporting heritage and dominance of the State in sports, the Punjab Government will establish a sports educational institute of international eminence, with an ultra-tech campus of the first sports university of the state Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University, Patiala. This would come up on 92.7 acres of land with the cost of around Rs 500 crore.
Addressing a news conference here on Friday, Punjab Sports, Youth Services and NRI Affairs Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi, said, the own campus of the Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University, the brainchild of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, will be coming up on the Patiala-Bhadson road at village Sidhuwal and adjacent to the Rajiv Gandhi National Law University, where 92.7 acres of land has been acquired to establish the campus equipped with the ultra-modern sports facilities.
The Minister also released a booklet with complete details about the university on the occasion.
"The Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh will lay the foundation stone of MBS Punjab Sports University on October 25", the minister said, adding that the architectural plan of the university has been prepared by the Chief Architect, PWD Punjab.
The Minister said a modern campus with world class training and academic infrastructure to promote sports education in sports sciences, sport technology, sports management and sports coaching of international standards, will be established with an estimated cost of Rs.500 Crore by Public Works Department (B&R).
The Sports Minister added that currently, the University is functioning from the Annexe of the Mahindra Kothi, Patiala and the Gursewak College of Physical Education, Patiala and recently completed its first year.
Sodhi, who was accompanied by Olympic Champion Shooter Abhinav Bindra, Hockey Olympian Ajit Singh and Prabhjot Singh, MBSPSU Vice Chancellor Lieutenant General (Retd.) Dr. Jagbir Singh Cheema, Principal Secretary Sports & Youth Services K. Siva Prasad, Director Sports D.P.S. Kharbanda, MBSPSU Registrar Col. Navjit Singh Sandhu, amongst others, said that besides imparting education in sports sciences, technology, management and coaching, the university will also function as a training center for select disciplines by incorporating internationally established practices.
The Sports Minister said construction work of the campus of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Punjab Sports University will comprise of state-of-the-art sports facilities such as; outdoor sports playground to include synthetic Athletic stadium, Astro-Turf hockey grounds, basketball, handball/ volleyball courts and shooting cum archery range, Indoor Multi-purpose Halls for boxing and wrestling, weightlifting, Badminton, Squash, Gymnasium and Yoga, state-of-the-art Fitness Center equipped with latest scientific apparatus and technology, Academic Block comprising of specialized scientific labs for sports science and biomechanics courses, auditorium, separate residential areas for girl and boy students, office block. Apart from this, the university will house a Museum to preserve the rich sporting glory, tradition and heritage of the Punjab.
Speaking on the occasion, Olympic Champion Shooter Abhinav Bindra said that setting up of the specialized sports university in Punjab will prove to be a game changer and would act not only as an institution providing State of the art training in sports but would be an inspiration for the youngsters of the State as well as the country. He also thanked the Sports Minister for playing a pivotal role for the establishment of the prestigious university.
