Central committee visits SAI centre

Ashwini Nachappa and P. Gopichand, members of a Central team of sportspersons, visit the Sports Authority of India centre in Alappuzha on Monday.

The Central committee constituted to evaluate amenities at Sports Authority of India (SAI) centres in the country visited the centre here on Monday.

The committee members included former international athlete and SAI governing body member Ashwini Nachappa and international badminton player P. Gopichand. The team visited the SAI Watersports Centre and interacted with students, their parents and officials of the SAI.

Later, Ms. Nachappa said the facilities at the centre would be improved.

The committee would prepare a report on the infrastructure as well as the problems faced by the sportspersons and submit it to the Prime Minister and Sports Minister, she said.

The SAI centre here has been in the mist of a controversy after four girls at the centre tried to commit suicide in May this year. One of them died. Incidents of discrimination against certain students were brought to the notice of the visiting team by their parents.

A project to the tune of Rs.30 crore for improving facilities has been allocated to the SAI centre here, according to sources.