The State Government will establish exclusive sports hostels for girls in 15 districts across the State, and land for the sports university has been identified near Yelahanka here, Youth Affairs Minister K.C. Narayan Gowda informed Legislative Council on Monday.
In his reply to a discussion on poor infrastructure and support for sporting activities in the State in which members cutting across party lines lamented the current state of affairs, Mr. Gowda said, “We have sanctioned 15 sports hostel for girls. They were having inconvenience to share the hostel with boys. Tender process has been initiated,” he said, adding that about 70% of the sporting infrastructure woes in the State can be sorted out if the budgetary allocation is about ₹1,000 crore.
“I have also appealed to the Chief Minister to enhance the allocation. Demand to set up stadiums are coming from almost every taluk, and that the land was being made available for the stadiums. About 100 acres near Yelahanka has been identified for the sports university. The cycling velodrome in Vijayapura will be completed in six months,” Mr. Gowda said during his reply to the discussion initiated by Deputy Leader of Opposition K. Govindaraju.
Besides, Mr. Govindarju had pointed out that a national player from the State received ₹200 as diet allowance and ₹200 as daily allowance, which was meagre. He also pointed out that sportspersons were being harassed for attendance and other academic issues when they attend national camps.
In response, Higher Education Minister C.N. Ashwath Narayan assured that students would be given exemption and attendance for sporting activities.
