Chandigarh, Jun 10 (IANS): Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's dream project of setting up the state's first sports university has begun to take shape, with the state identifying the site for the proposed campus at Sidhuwal village on Patiala's outskirts.

Till it has its own campus, the varisty would commence operations from the next session from the Physical Education College in Patiala, about 70 km from here.

The university would be a milestone in terms of revolutionising the sports scenario in Punjab and restore the state to its earlier numero uno position in the sporting arena, Sports Minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi said in a statement here.

L.S. Ranawat, ex-Executive Director of the National Institute of Sports, would be the varsity's Vice Chancellor.

The new varsity's focus areas would be sports science and psychology and its management to keep pace with emerging and changing trends in sports.

The courses to be offered at the varsity will be prepared with assistance of Britain's Loughborough University. All physical education colleges in the state would be affiliated to the new university, added Sodhi.