The Hindu : Sport : Infrastructure’s role in sports development

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Friday, Oct 23, 2009
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Infrastructure’s role in sports development

Special Correspondent

MUMBAI: Tessa Sanderson, Olympic javelin champion from Great Britain, boxer Vijender Singh and squash player Ritwik Bhattacharya spoke about the critical role played by infrastructure in a nation’s sporting development. These three were part of a panel brought together by SE TransStadia Private Limited, a Mumbai-based company engaged in stadium designing and building.

The first venture is to build a 25000-seater multi-purpose stadium in Ahmedabad. A sports conclave, named the India International Sports Summit 2010, will be organised in Mumbai next March.

Sanderson, with a record of six back-to-back Olympic appearances from 1976 Montreal to 1996 Atlanta, spoke about creating opportunities for deprived sections of society using sports as a tool for community development.

“Newham is one of London’s poorest sections. The Newham Sports Academy, which I established, arranges sporting facilities and training for these kids. I have arranged for academy coaches to go into each area and scout for sporting talent. It would be wonderful if we could get a few kids from there to take part at 2012 London Olympics,” she said.

She explained the benefits of England’s sports lottery system in building facilities for athletes, payment for former sportspersons wanting to remain connected with sport via coaching and related activities and providing opportunities to talented youngsters to look at a career in sport.

“The lottery scheme is useful in setting up facilities. Even Indian sport can benefit from having such a scheme to raise funds for sports,” she said.

Indian athletes have trained at Newham under coaches deputed by her. “Indian athletes have talent to go places. They need support from coaches using latest methods,” Sanderson said, singling out distance runner Surender Kumar for special mention.

Need for infrastructure

Vijender explained that it was tough to expect medals from Indian sportspersons without arranging for facilities of international standard.

Bhattacharya pointed out the absence of sports facilities for the common man in metros like Mumbai.

M. Somaya, ex-India Olympics hockey captain, spoke about fine-tuning sports keeping the viewer in mind.

Priya Dutt, MP, promised government support for sports projects like TransStadia.

Udit Sheth, CEO, informed that his company had an exclusive technology licencing agreement with StadiArena, UK, for India and South Asia.

Ahmedabad is the starting point, following which TransStadia, part of the Setco group, is looking at setting up sports infrastructure in various cities across the nation, besides tie-ups with foreign groups for coaching, competition and equipment to benefit Indian sportspersons.

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