The Indian Railways will provide a world class wrestling academy at Delhi's Kishanganj at an approximate cost of ₹30.76 crore, ministry informed on Friday. The railway minister had committed Indian Railways wrestlers to provide the state-of-art wrestling academy at the earliest.
"In order to fulfill the commitment to provide a World Class Wrestling academy in Railways, a work has been sanctioned to establish the same at Kishanganj, Delhi at an approximate cost of Rs. 30.76 crores and will be another feather in the Cap of Railways," the ministry said in a statement.
This academy, exclusively for wrestling, will be the biggest in the country equipped with advance training facilities. This academy will provide opportunity to many budding wrestlers to become champions in the times to come, it added.
The statement said Indian Railways have played a paramount role in promoting wrestling in India and most of the elite wrestlers are from Railways. "Most of the medals won by India in wrestling in Olympics were from Indian Railways i.e. Sushil (2008 & 2012), Sakshi Malik (2016), Ravi Kumar and Bajrang (2020)," the railway said.
In recently concluded Tokyo Olympic 2020, the performance of Indian Railways (IR) sportspersons have been phenomenal and out of 7 medals won by India 3 Individual medals by Mirabai Chanu (Silver in weightlifting), Ravi Kumar (Silver in Wrestling), Bajrang (Bronze in wrestling) and in Bronze medallist Indian Hockey Men team, two players were from IR.
Indian Railway is contributing in promotion of sports through Railway Sports Promotion Board in the country, in a big way. Railways have supported the sizable number of sportspersons by giving them job security with various incentives. As on date more than 9000 sportspersons are on roll in 29 game disciplines in Indian Railways, it said.
The ministry further said railway sportspersons have brought laurels for the country in all mega sports events like Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games etc.
Railways sportspersons have been honoured with 27 Padamshree, 176 Arjuna, 12 Dhyanchand, 14 Dronacharya and 9 Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Awards for their outstanding sports achievements, it added.
