Chandigarh, September 9: In a major push to further strengthen sporting ecosystem, Haryana is planning to set up a single State Sports Portal, undertake a State-wide mapping of sports infrastructure, prepare a common State Sports Calendar, develop a structured State talent-pathway framework to identify and nurture sporting talent from the grassroots to national and international levels, and enable the wider use of existing sports facilities in schools, colleges, panchayats and urban bodies by recognised athletes and sports clubs.
The decisions were taken at the first meeting of the State Sports Administrative Committee, chaired by Haryana Chief Secretary Sh. Anurag Rastogi here today. The Committee also decided to examine norms for earmarking adequate sports space in new layouts and colonies in coordination with the Town and Country Planning Department and Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP), with the objective of ensuring that sports infrastructure is factored into urban planning from the initial stage itself.
Principal Secretary, Sports, Amneet P Kumar informed that the proposed State Sports Portal will serve as a unified digital platform for Haryana’s sports ecosystem, bringing together information on sports infrastructure and assets, tournaments and sports calendars, coaches, equipment, sportspersons and their achievements. Departments, boards and corporations associated with sports infrastructure will nominate nodal officers to ensure that information is updated regularly. A State-wide exercise will also be undertaken to build a comprehensive baseline database of existing sports infrastructure and assets, strengthening planning and monitoring at the State level.
The State will focus on maximising the use of sports infrastructure already available across Haryana. Sports facilities in schools, colleges, panchayats and municipal institutions will be brought under a shared-use mechanism, enabling recognised athletes and sports clubs to access them outside institutional hours.
A comprehensive State-wide mapping of facilities under the Sports Department, Education Department, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Urban Local Bodies, HSVP, universities and other agencies will help identify infrastructure gaps and support more scientific planning for future development.
Haryana will prepare a consolidated State Sports Calendar covering tournaments, competitions, training camps and other sporting activities organised by different departments and institutions. The common calendar will help prevent scheduling conflicts, improve the utilisation of facilities and resources and enable greater participation by athletes in sporting events across the State.
A major feature of the new framework will be the development of a State talent-pathway framework to systematically identify and nurture promising sportspersons. The pathway will begin with competitions and talent identification at the school and panchayat levels, followed by progression through district and State-level centres, with the objective of preparing talented athletes for national and international competitions.
Director, Sports, Sh. Parth Gupta said the support extended to sportspersons, including coaching, scholarships, awards, equipment, diet and logistical assistance, will be brought under a more coordinated monitoring mechanism through the State Sports Portal. The State will also strengthen safety and compliance across its sports infrastructure. The framework will cover playfields, stadiums, swimming pools, gymnasiums, flood-lighting systems, spectator galleries and sports equipment. Periodic safety inspections, envisaged at least once every six months, will be linked with the State Sports Portal to strengthen compliance monitoring.
The new framework will place special emphasis on ensuring wider and more inclusive sporting opportunities. For women athletes, the focus will include safer sports facilities, greater availability of women coaches and improved residential and transport support. For rural youth, greater utilisation of panchayat-level playfields and rural sporting activities will be encouraged. For para-athletes, major sports facilities will be reviewed for accessibility, with emphasis on barrier-free infrastructure and adapted equipment. A district-wise assessment of infrastructure, coach availability, and participation levels will also help identify underserved districts and blocks that require greater attention.
There will be a two-tier structure for sports governance, comprising the State Sports Administrative Committee, headed by the Chief Secretary, which will provide overall policy direction and strategic oversight, and the State Sports Executive Committee, which will serve as the operational arm for implementation, coordination and effective execution of decisions taken by the Administrative Committee.
Additional Chief Secretary, Development & Panchayats, Sh. Vijayendra Kumar, Principal Secretary, School Education, Sh. Vijay Singh Dahiya, Commissioner & Secretary, Women & Child Development Department, Sh. Shekhar Vidyarthi and other senior officers were present in the meeting.
