Sports Ministry inaugurates Khelo India Centres of Excellence

Existing sports facilities in eight States will be upgraded as KISCE and each centre will be responsible for three disciplines each.

Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, Kiren Rijiju.

Eight Khelo India State Centres of Excellence (KISCE), announced in June under the Union Sports Ministry’s flagship Khelo India Scheme, were inaugurated virtually on Tuesday.

Existing sports facilities in eight States – Arunachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Odisha and Telangana – will be upgraded as KISCE and each centre will be responsible for three disciplines each.

Speaking on the occasion, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said: “This initiative is to create basic facilities for our budding sportspersons. These will be on top of the National Centres of Excellence we already have across the country.”

“These eight centres will be part of a pilot project and can become examples for prospective centres. We will provide adequate financial assistance and our aim is to be among the top-eight in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.”

• Sangey Lhaden Sports Academy, Itanagar (Weightlifting, Archery and Judo);
• Jaiprakash Narayan National Youth Centre, Bengaluru (Shooting, Swimming and Athletics);
• GV Raja Sr. Secondary Sports School, Thiruvananthapuram (Athletics, Boxing and Judo);
• Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Imphal (Weightlifting, Archery and Hockey);
• Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Aizawl (Boxing, Judo and Weightlifting);
• State Sports Academy, Kohima (Wrestling, Archery and Boxing);
• Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneshwar (Hockey, Weightlifting and Athletics);
• Regional Sports School, Hakimpet (Rowing, Fencing and Weightlifting).