Bengaluru, Apr 17 (PTI) Minister of State for Sports Raksha Khadse on Thursday inaugurated the newly-constructed indoor kabaddi hall at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Bengaluru campus and held extensive interactions with athletes and coaches at the facility.

The inauguration underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing infrastructure and supporting the development of traditional Indian sports like Kabaddi. The facility represents a significant infrastructural upgrade, aimed at providing athletes with state-of-the-art training resources.

Khadse held extensive interactions with foreign coaches of various disciplines, including Dragan (volleyball), Ronald (race walking), Claudio (middle and long-distance running), and discussed their training methodologies, international best practices, and the adaptability of their expertise to Indian athletes.

She also held discussions with Indian coaches and former athletes like Sahana Kumari and Ashwini Akkunji and sprint coach Harish.

The minister was on a two-day visit to the SAI Centre to gain first-hand insights into the implementation of government schemes at the grassroots level.

The visit served as an opportunity to directly engage with athletes, coaches, administrators, and experts contributing to India’s sports ecosystem, a ministry release said.

She joined a dinner hosted for elite athletes, including Olympians, Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand awardees and members of the senior women’s hockey team, athletics and para-athletics squads. PTI PDS PDS ATK