The Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS), a privately-funded high-performance training institute, was inaugurated here on Wednesday.
Balbir Singh Sr., Abhinav Bindra, Mahesh Bhupathi, Anjali Bhagwat, Somdev Devvarman, Vece Paes, Yogeshwar Dutt and Geeta Phogat were some of the eminent sportspersons present on the occasion.
The 42-acre institute is an initiative led by the JSW Group to bring a world-class Olympic training centre to India. It will provide athletes access to advanced infrastructure, coaching and sports science within the country.
The facility, the brainchild of JSW Group scion Parth Jindal, is currently home to around 120 young athletes, who train in wrestling, judo and boxing. The youngsters have been scouted from across the country.
A track-and-field programme has been introduced recently, and a FINA-approved aquatics centre is scheduled to be operational next year. Athletes are offered full scholarships.
“Our vision is for IIS to be the destination of choice for every Indian athlete who dreams of Olympic success.
“Through the Institute, we want to create an environment where no talented athlete is deprived of success because of a lack of resources, infrastructure or training support,” Parth stated.