In a first, Army to set up Girls Sports Company
It will be on the lines of the Boys Sports Company (BSC) which was started by the Army Sports Institute (ASI) in 2005 to scout, recruit and train young and talented athletes at its campus which was set up in 2001 in Pune. The ASI has already started training women athletes and will soon begin recruiting young girls in four disciplines. Prior to this, women athletes have trained at the army establishment only once, when the Indian women’s boxing contingent trained at the ASI ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
“The proposal of forming GSC was approved by the chief of the army staff (COAS) in February. This is in accordance with the recruitment of women in the Indian army,” ASI commandant Colonel Devraj Gill told TOI on Tuesday.
The BSC has produced some big names – including Commonwealth Games gold medallist weightlifters Jeremy Lalrinnunga, Achinta Sheuli – who have represented India at the Olympics and other big-ticket events. The GSC will have a total of 120 athletes to be inducted over a period of four years. They will prepare for the Olympics and other international tournaments.
In the initial phase, athletes from age groups 10-16 years, will be recruited in four disciplines – wrestling, weightlifting, boxing and athletics – with 30 recruits in each discipline.
“Along with the recruits, ASI will also appoint female coaches, physios and masseuses, for the female athletes,” Col Gill said.
ASI has already recruited three boxers – Sakshi, Arundhati and Jasmine – along with Sumi in athletics and two wrestlers, Bhateri and Priyanka, who have represented India at the international level. The three women boxers are currently training at ASI campus under a foreign coach from Cuba.
The Army Sports Institute – a 72-acre state-of-the-art training facility right in the middle of Pune – is known for world-class infrastructure.
The prestigious institute is building a new residential facility which can accommodate 300 athletes and coaches within the campus.
It will be funded by the Sports Authority of India (SAI). The ASI Hall of Fame includes Neeraj Chopra, Avinash Sable, Irfan KT, Jinson Johnson, Manu DP (athletics); Tarundeep Rai, Pravin Jadhav (archery); Amit Panghal, Manish Kaushik, Satish Kumar (boxing).