Varanasi: There will soon be an MoU between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the UP Sports Department regarding the operation of Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Sigra, Varanasi. SAI officials have prepared a proposal and sent it to the Sports Department.
The MoU will be signed soon. According to officials, swimming, basketball, table tennis and outdoor sports will be operated by the District Sports and Development Promotion Development Committee.
The Sports Department will give two and a half crores to the committee every year. While the National Center of Excellence (NCOE) and the hostel will be operated by SAI. The stadium is built in two phases in an area of 66,782 square meters at a cost of Rs 320 crore. International coaches will train the players in the stadium equipped with international level facilities.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the newly constructed sports facilities of the Sigra Stadium. The renovation of the stadium started in 2022. In March 2023, when the Prime Minister inaugurated the first phase built with 120 crores, it was expected that now the players would get relief, but this did not happen and even after the inauguration, the stadium remained closed for a year. On 20 October 2024, PM Modi inaugurated the second and third phases built with two hundred crores rupees. It has been constructed by Smart City. With the completion of the construction of the athletic track, the equipment has been installed.
NCOE will give training in four indoor sports
The National Center of Excellence will give training in four sports at Sigra Stadium. This includes wrestling, shooting, boxing and fencing. Smart City has installed the equipment. After completing the process of operation, the sports event will start.
Training of six sports in outdoor
In the outdoor of Sigra Stadium, apart from practice cricket pitch, football ground, Smart City has built one court each for volleyball, basketball, lawn tennis and badminton. A walking track has been built outside.
The official said – Soon an MoU will be signed between the Sports Authority of India and the Sports Department for the operation of the Sigra Stadium. Cards of morning walkers and players will be made from December. The calendar of sports will be released in February or March. – Kaushal Raj Sharma, Divisional Commissioner, Varanasi.
