Guwahati to get high-performance sports centre

Guwahati: Assam is set to establish a high-performance satellite sports centre in Guwahati, marking a major step towards building a structured elite sports ecosystem in the state and the region.The centre will anchor initiatives across seven priority sports — athletics, archery, taekwondo, table tennis, lawn tennis, chess and swimming — with emphasis on athlete identification, coaching development and long-term performance pathways aligned with India’s Olympic ambitions, officials said on Thursday.The directorate of sports and youth welfare has partnered with the JSW Group-founded Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) to set up the centre. The programmes are designed not only to identify promising athletes, but also to build a strong, self-sustaining coaching ecosystem within the state.Sports and youth welfare minister Nandita Gorlosa said, “Assam has no shortage of talent, particularly in rural and tribal regions. Through this partnership with the Inspire Institute of Sport, we are bringing global coaching expertise and high-performance systems into the state, while strengthening our own infrastructure and outreach.”“This collaboration will create clear, structured pathways for athletes and coaches to progress to national and international competitions, and position Assam as a high-performance sports hub in the northeast, contributing to India’s Olympic journey.”The athletics programme will begin with a structured State Coaches Orientation and Development initiative.IIS president Manisha Malhotra said, “In collaboration with the state govt, we are bringing Olympic-level coaching expertise, cutting-edge sports science and proven development frameworks into the state.”