Sonipat (Haryana) [India], October 12 (ANI): Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Mansukh Mandaviya, visited the Sports Authority of India (SAI) National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), Sonipat, on Saturday to review the ongoing training infrastructure and interact with coaches, athletes, and support staff.

Upon his arrival at the Centre in the afternoon, Mandaviya was welcomed by senior officials of SAI and presented with a brief overview of the activities, achievements, and upcoming projects at the Sonipat campus, as per a release from SAI.

The Union Minister began his visit with an inspection of the Archery Centre of Excellence, where he interacted with coaches and athletes. He commended their dedication and emphasised the government's commitment to promoting scientific training methods to nurture sporting talent at the grassroots level.

Mandaviya also participated in a tree plantation activity under the 'Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam' initiative.

Following this, the Minister visited the archery range, kabaddi court, medical centre, wrestling hall, sports science department, and strength & conditioning hall, where he reviewed the available training and sports science facilities.

He appreciated the integration of technology and sports science in athlete preparation and stressed the importance of regular health and performance assessments.

Mandaviya also inspected the Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH), the upcoming High-Performance Centre (HPC), and the indoor kabaddi hall, noting the significant infrastructural progress being made to provide world-class facilities to India's athletes.

The visit concluded with an interaction with coaches and staff members, where the Minister lauded their contribution to India's sporting ecosystem and reiterated the government's vision of building a strong sports culture to realise the vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. (ANI)