New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS): In a firm statement to Sports Secretary Ajit Sharan, Sports Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Wednesday asked for the restructuring of the Sports Authority of India (SAI).

Sonowal asked Sharan, who is also holding the charge of SAI Director General after Jiji Thomson quit last month, to bring about the change with immediate effect to create atleast nine more SAI regional centres and effectively manage the existing ones, especially in the northeast, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

This was done taking serious view of the fact that SAI is languishing due to non-availability of officers and coaches to man more than 80 prevalent centres spread across the country.

In the studies carried out by the Staff Inspection Unit (SIU) of the Department of Personnel, Government of India, also by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Sports and Tata Consultancy Services, many far reaching recommendations were made.

Sonowal repatriated the "deputanists" against regular posts in SAI and instructed Sharan to expedite and provide promotions to long pending cases and also to streamline the functioning of SAI.