Sports university in Imphal to emphasise on sports science

The sports university to be launched this November in Imphal, according to sports secretary Injeti Srinivas, is a venture that will "galvanise the way we look at sport in India."

"It is going to be a path-breaking initiative and I am sure the results would reflect the benefits of this project," said sports secretary Injeti Srinivas.

Sports science will be the focus in a first of its kind sports university to be launched this November in Imphal.

The proposal by the union sports minister was approved by the union cabinet on Thursday, paving the way for a much-needed boost to modernisation of training of Indian athletes for international competitions.

Sports secretary Injeti Srinivas told Sportstar , “It is a venture which should galvanise the way we look at sport in India. Sports talent will be nurtured on a scientific basis. It is going to be a path-breaking initiative and I am sure the results would reflect the benefits of this project.”

According to Srinivas, the university will provide international-class facilities. “We expect the best talent to come forward. We want sports sector to be the sunrise sector, since it will attract qualified people to join the movement,” Srinivas added.

Sports joint-secretary Rajvir Singh highlighted the working of the university. “It is going to be a platform second to none in terms of infrastructure, teacher-student ratio and faculty. We will have the best. To begin with, we would have 120 students in two streams. The campus and hostel are in place,” said Rajvir Singh.

The university will comprise four schools – sports science and sports medicine; sports management and sports technology; sports education and coaching and inter-disciplinary studies.

As Srinivas informed, “Sports medicine is a much-neglected area and there is a shortage of expertise on the subject in India. The university will also focus on teaching preventive and rehab science.”

The course would include disability and adventure sport and will offer a four-year degree programme. “The National Institute of Sports (NIS) was a one-year diploma course but here it will be specialised learning. Students with a good record in sports and science will be given preference but we are open for Olympic and Asian Games medallists to join the course. Even those who may not have studied science but would have excelled at the international level,” said Rajvir Singh.

Srinivas had worked on this project diligently to introduce Indian sportsmen to sports science and sports psychology. “We will be producing experts in sports bio-mechanics. It is an important field in preparing and identifying the champion material. We will affiliate other institutions and pass on the exercise to spur sports technology. It will give a boost to the sports industry, too, because the students will learn technology related to manufacturing sports surfaces and sports goods of certain standardisation.”