New Delhi, Nov 7 (IANS): Rs 67.32 crore has been set aside for upgradation of six centres across the country for Khelo India Centre of Excellence (KISCE) for financial year 2020-21 and four subsequent years, the Sports Ministry announced on Saturday.

The ministry said it has approved upgradation of States Sports Academy, Sarusajai, Guwahati for which Rs 7.96 crore has been allotted; JNS Complex, Shillong (Rs 8.39 crore); Paljor Stadium, Gangtok (Rs 7.91 crore); New Sports Complex, Silvassa (Rs 8.05 crore); Madhya Pradesh State Academy (Rs 19 crore); and, Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports Complex, Balewadi in Pune (Rs 16 crore).

The support provided to the centres will include upgradation of infrastructure alongwith setting up of sports science centres and providing "quality coaches and sports science human resources like physiotherapists, strength and conditioning experts and so on". The academies will also be provided with a "high performance manager to ensure quality of sports science input and performance management".

"Creating centres of sporting excellence across the country is a step towards our vision of making India one of the top 10 countries in Olympics 2028. Unless we can provide world-class specialised training, we cannot expect athletes to excel at the Olympics," Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said in a statement.

"Each of these centers will provide world-class training in a specific sporting discipline and will become the main facility in the country where elite athletes of that sport will train. I am happy that each state has supported this initiative of the center with great positivity and enthusiasm," he said.