Sports Authority of India (SAI) will collaborate with some identified universities across the country to improve standards of training with a view to achieving excellence in sports. For this purpose, each Regional Director of SAI will identify one or two universities with good sports infrastructure and sporting traditions. This decision was taken at a meeting of Heads of SAI Regional Centres, Academic Institutions, SAI Training Centres (STCs) and Special Area Games (SAG) Centres held in New Delhi .

• The meeting was chaired by Vijay Goel, Union Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports.
• Rajiv Yadav, Secretary (Sports) and SAI Director General Injeti Srinivas along with many senior officers from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports also attended the meeting.
• Every SAI Centre has been asked to select sports disciplines for focused attention, keeping in view factors like infrastructure and local traditions. The issue of identification of talent by SAI was also discussed at length.
• It was decided that SAI would pro-actively hunt for talent by sending its teams to interior areas. Sports science experts will also be part of such teams.
• SAI will also collaborate with defence forces to ensure that talented children get selected for nurturing in SAI Centres.

DO YOU KNOW?

• After independence, on May 7, 1961, the National Institute of Sports (NIS) was set up for the development of sports at the Motibagh Palace grounds in Patiala.
• On January 23, 1973, it was renamed Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS).
• The Sports Authority of India originated with the committee formed to host the 1982 Asian Games in New Delhi. The Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Sports body set up in 1984 by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India for broad basing and bringing excellence in sports across India.