TED NewsDesk, Patiala: Punjab’s first-ever university dedicated exclusively to sports was founded on Dussehra’s auspicious day by the CM of Punjab Amarinder Singh on Monday in Patiala. The CM laid the foundations of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh Sports University via video call; it was also the CM’s grandfather’s 129th birth anniversary, the university’s namesake.
The university will receive Rs 500 crore. Rs 60 crore will be used to develop the necessary infrastructure and dormitories on the premises, as mentioned in the government’s intimation. The CM said that since the university was being established in honour of his grandfather, it will focus on sportspeople’s scientific development. He added that it’s his wish to make Punjab into a centre for sports and its scientific development via an all-round training of its sportspeople and coaches.
The land for the university was provided by the residents of Sidhuwal, for which the CM expressed his gratitude to the panchayat and the residents of Sidhuwal. The Village had also donated land to a law university before this. They have also propositioned to donate 100 acres for various future schemes. For their generous contribution, the government has offered a sum of Rs 50 lakhs to Sidhuwal.
The CM hoped that the university would be up and running by 2022, and the students and administration will be able to start working. He added that the students would be exposed to various diverse courses, providing a wide range of knowledge. The courses have inspired many courses projected to be offered by the university at Loughborough University in the UK.
This new development in Punjab’s academia hopes to provide a host of new opportunities to those who aspire to become or are already sportspersons. Sports education will become more accessible to them and will gradually be handy in making their futures bright and successful.