Uttar Pradesh, once an underdog in India’s sporting landscape, has undergone a remarkable transformation over the past few years. From infrastructure development to athlete support, the state has made significant strides in developing a culture of sports and producing world-class athletes. This shift is the result of a combination of govt initiatives, private investments, and growing public enthusiasm for sports.

In recent years, UP has ramped up its infrastructure significantly. The vision of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath is to have three-tier infrastructure with a stadium complex in districts, a mini-stadium complex in blocks and playgrounds in villages. To implement the same, the budgetary allocation in the sports sector has seen a five-fold increase in the last six years. Presently, over Rs 1,000 crore have been earmarked to cater to the needs of sporting infrastructure, athlete support, grassroots talent identification, training and competition support, etc.

At the district level, synthetic athletic running tracks of international standard, hockey stadium, multipurpose halls to cater to the sporting disciplines of badminton, handball, volleyball, taekwondo, weightlifting, and wrestling, are being built with modern design in line with the guidelines of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

In many districts, Olympic sized swimming pools have been built. After Kanpur and Lucknow, UP is getting world-class cricket stadiums in Varanasi, Ayodhya and Gorakhpur which are designed to host international and IPL matches. More than 150 mini stadiums have been built at block level for grassroots sports.

Since 2018, athletes from UP have won 68 medals and given 177 participations in three major world events of Olympics/Paralympics, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games.

The state has also hosted major sporting events including Khelo India University Games, MotoGP race, Davis Cup in tennis, Syed Modi BWF badminton tournament, handball world championships, apart from being the official partner for Kho Kho World Championships and soccer matches. In recent years, league format has become popular among various sports and UP is witnessing many such state level leagues in cricket, kabaddi, football, badminton, etc.

The CM launched the first edition of UP Rural Sports League (UPRSL) in Dec 2023 and presently the second edition is underway. General feedback from stakeholders in UP was that there are many talented sportspersons in rural areas who need grooming and opportunity. The league is designed to address that feedback and give platform to players in eight different Olympic sports at junior, sub-junior and senior levels in all 826 blocks across the rural hinterlands.

The Major Dhyan Chand Sports University in Meerut is a landmark initiative aimed at providing world-class training facilities and academic courses related to sports, sports science and management. The courses are being designed in consultation with different stakeholders, market leaders and by studying existing courses in various sports universities in India and abroad. Construction is likely to be over later this year and will open a plethora of opportunities for youngsters wanting to pursue careers in sports-related sectors.

UP has one of the best policies in the country in terms of providing employment for sportspersons. Medalists from UP in Olympics/Paralympics, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games are offered direct jobs at senior positions like deputy superintendent of police, basic shiksha adhikari, deputy public relations officer in panchayati raj department. The police department has conducted a special drive to recruit sportspersons and more than 500 sportspersons have benefited.

The state has passed an order providing 2% reservation for sportspersons in Group C govt jobs across departments. UP also has an attractive policy in terms of prize money to medal winning athletes and their coaches.

The state is looking forward to public private partnerships and investments from private sector in infrastructure management and athlete support. A new policy has been announced to support private academies of excellence by up to Rs 18 lakh per year.

The central govt has also been supporting the state in infrastructure creation through Khelo India scheme, athlete support through TOPS scheme, at grassroots through One District One Sports Scheme and new National Centre of Excellence in different sports in UP.

Uttar Pradesh’s sports transformation is a testament to the power of structured policymaking, infrastructure development, and athlete-centric programmes. With continued investment and support, the state is poised to become a major sports hub in India. If this momentum continues, the next decade could see UP producing even more Olympians and world champions, further strengthening India’s position in global sports.

(The writer is secretary, sports department, UP govt)

The Times of India