SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir has taken two significant steps towards building a stronger sporting ecosystem with the launch of nine specialised ‘Academies of Excellence’ by the Directorate of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) and the operational debut of a new international-standard 50-metre all-weather swimming pool in Jammu, together signalling a major push to nurture sporting talent across the Union Territory.
While the Directorate has announced free elite-level coaching across nine disciplines for talented youth from all districts, the new swimming facility at MA Stadium has already begun hosting selection trials for national championships, offering competitive swimmers infrastructure comparable to international standards.
Director General of Youth Services and Sports, Anuradha Gupta, described the launch of the academies at Khel Gaon, Jammu, as the first phase of a comprehensive Union Territory-wide blueprint aimed at creating a robust high-performance sports ecosystem.
She said specialised sports clusters had been established across Jammu and Kashmir to provide structured, scientific and elite-level coaching to promising athletes.
“The establishment of these Academies of Excellence reflects the department’s commitment to nurturing raw talent and building a world-class sporting ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir. Our objective is to bridge the gap between passion and professional training and create pathways for athletes to compete successfully at the national and international levels,” Gupta said.
The first batch of academies will provide specialised coaching in Taekwondo, Athletics, Hockey, Football, Kabaddi, Volleyball, Badminton, Wrestling and Fencing.
To ensure quality training, the Directorate has appointed experienced Physical Education teachers with proven expertise in their respective disciplines as academy coaches.
In a major incentive for aspiring athletes, Gupta announced that training at all academies would be provided entirely free of cost. Players from every district of Jammu and Kashmir will be eligible to apply, although selected trainees from outside Jammu will have to make their own temporary boarding and lodging arrangements.
Admissions will be based strictly on merit through physical fitness assessments and sport-specific trials, while training schedules will be designed scientifically on the recommendations of expert coaches.
Moving beyond conventional coaching methods, the academies will adopt long-term scientific training programmes based on micro and macro planning cycles. Every athlete will be digitally registered on the DYSS portal, allowing coaches and administrators to monitor individual performance and development through an online tracking system.
The Directorate has also established a high-level monitoring committee headed by the Director General, with the Joint Director Jammu, DYSS Jammu and Deputy Director (Activities) as members, to conduct weekly reviews of the academies.
Officials said the performance of coaches, as well as the maintenance of sports infrastructure, would be reviewed regularly, and coaches failing to achieve the desired developmental outcomes would be replaced.
Complementing the government’s efforts to strengthen sports infrastructure, Jammu’s long-awaited 50-metre all-weather indoor swimming pool at MA Stadium has become operational ahead of its formal inauguration by hosting the Jammu and Kashmir Swimming Association’s junior and sub-junior selection trials for the upcoming national championships.
The two-day trials attracted enthusiastic participation from young swimmers from across the Union Territory, with the sub-junior team selected for the national championships in Jaipur and the junior contingent qualifying for the event in Odisha.
The facility, constructed by the J&K Sports Council under the Languishing Projects Scheme launched in 2019, replaces the ageing swimming pool built in 1993. Completed last month after years of delays, the new pool features modern filtration systems, climate-control provisions and international-standard specifications, providing swimmers with training conditions similar to those available at major national and international competitions.
Jammu Swimming Association president Ramandeep Singh said the facility would transform competitive swimming in Jammu and Kashmir.
“After so many years, we finally have world-class infrastructure for all age groups, especially children. The overwhelming response reflects the excitement among young swimmers. With another similar facility already available in Kashmir, we are confident that swimming will witness a major revival across the Union Territory,” he said.
Chief Executive Advisor of the Association Jajendra Singh Renu recalled the challenges faced by swimmers over the years.
“Earlier, we had no option but to hire private swimming pools to keep the sport alive. Those pools were only 25 metres long and did not meet international standards. This facility changes everything,” he said.
Young swimmers also welcomed the new infrastructure.
Shranya Jandyal, competing in the Under-14 category, said training in a full-length Olympic-standard pool would significantly improve preparations for national competitions.
“Earlier we practised in a 25-metre pool. Now we have a 50-metre pool like the ones used for national championships. It will help us prepare much better,” she said.
Another Under-14 swimmer, Niksha, said private pools were often crowded with recreational users, making serious training difficult.
“This is a proper competition pool where we can train in an environment similar to national championships,” she said.
Parents also expressed optimism that the new facility would reduce training costs while giving young athletes access to better coaching and world-class infrastructure.
With specialised coaching academies now being rolled out across multiple disciplines and modern sports infrastructure becoming available, Jammu and Kashmir is positioning itself to develop a stronger pipeline of athletes capable of competing successfully at the highest levels of Indian sport.
