As India celebrated the National Sports Day on August 29, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the nation's first-ever Mondo track at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Delhi. The installation of this track had been in the works for a long time and has finally been accomplished. However, there is a much bigger story behind the laying of this Mondo track - one that is closely connected to the future of Indian sports.
But the efforts that went into making it possible were significant. Speaking exclusively to India TV’s Sports Editor Samip Rajguru, Sports Authority of India (SAI) secretary Vishnu Kant Tiwari revealed how the involvement of the engineering department laid the foundation to bring this project to life.
"Yes, this is truly the vision of our Sports Minister, Mansukh Mandaviya. At the very beginning, he had a study conducted on the sports infrastructure across India, and it was found that there was a lack of uniformity - no standardisation - and several other issues as well," Vishnu Kant Tiwari told India TV.
He revealed how the department laid the foundation to build the Mondo track. "The Minister envisioned that, just like infrastructure for roads and dams is built by agencies such as CPWD and NBCC, sports infrastructure too should not be left without a specialised body. Until then, there was no dedicated agency for it."
"Acting on his directions, an engineering wing was established within the Sports Authority of India (SAI). This wing does not merely build sports infrastructure for SAI but has also been given the mandate to provide designing, drawing, and consultancy services for any government or private department across the country that wishes to develop sports facilities.
"The larger vision behind this initiative, as set forth by Mandaviya, is to ensure that every piece of sports infrastructure developed in India is built to international standards," he said.
'Our role remains that of an advisor': Vishnu Kant
Responding to a question about the idea behind setting up the engineering department, SAI Secretary Vishnu Kant Tiwari said that it was the vision of the Sports Minister, whose aim was to position SAI in an advisory role. If any state government or department wishes to develop sports-related infrastructure, they can seek SAI’s assistance, but their role remains only that of an advisor.
"SAI is committed to providing them with standardised designs, drawings, and all architectural support. In fact, we are already working with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and a few other departments on such projects," he said.
'This will boost the development of sports in the country': SAI secretary
Speaking about the laying of the Mondo track, the SAI Secretary said that such initiatives are seen as a positive step. "Whether it is the Mondo track or any other world-class infrastructure, it will certainly contribute to the growth of sports in India," he said.
He added, "Ever since 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has continuously emphasised the importance of sports - there is hardly a Mann Ki Baat address where he hasn’t spoken about it. With the upcoming Para Athletics Championships as well, his vision has been clear: the country must be well-prepared. Therefore, there is no doubt that facilities like the Mondo track, or any other high-quality infrastructure, are essential for the overall development of sports in the nation."
