Bihar gets its first Sports Academy, Sports University

Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday inaugurated the state’s first Sports Academy and Bihar Sports University, a part of the International Sports Complex in Rajgir, on the occasion of Sports Day.

On the occasion, Dilip Tirkey, former India hockey team captain and currently the president of Hockey India, announced that Rajgir would be hosting six-nation Asian Women Hockey Championship in November.

Built on 90 acres of land at a cost of ₹740 crore, the International Sports Complex will be a venue for training in 24 sports disciplines simultaneously. Here, the players will be provided all the facilities including training, accommodation and medical facilities, on the same campus, according to a statement by the state government.

Kumar had announced in 2007 to set up the complex at Rajgir, which is in Nalanda, the chief minister’s home district.

The complex includes a main cricket stadium, along with eight smaller stadiums, a world-class sports library and training centres for various sports. The main stadium will have a seating capacity of about 50,000 spectators, while the smaller stadiums will have a seating arrangement for 10,000 spectators.

This project is not limited to cricket only, it includes facilities for athletics, football, hockey, volleyball, kabaddi, and many other sports. Apart from this, a state-of-the-art hospital, fitness centre and sports research facilities are also proposed.

A total of nine international players of the state were also felicitated and given cash prizes and honours according to their achievements. An exhibition match of the Indian women’s hockey team, which is the Asian Games winner, was also organised on the newly constructed hockey turf.

Bihar Sports University

With the aim of promoting sports education in the field of physical education, sports science, sports technology, sports management and sports training in the state of Bihar as well as to act as a high level research training centre for sports, the state government had approved the establishment of Bihar Sports University in July 2021.

Rajnikant, IAS (2011), who recently took voluntary retirement from the service as Lakhisarai district magistrate, has been appointed to the post of Registrar of Bihar Sports Directorate. He would also work as acting vice chancellor till a regular appointment to the post.