Lucknow: Two new sports colleges in Saharanpur and Fatehpur are set to commence operations from the academic session 2026-27.The Fatehpur Sports College received approval in Jan 2011, and construction work began in Nov 2011. It was originally scheduled to be completed by July 2018; however, the work could not be finished on time. Similarly, construction for the Saharanpur Sports College was slated to begin in Feb 2011, with an original completion deadline of Feb 2013. Yet, due to various reasons, the work failed to progress.An official spokesperson said that the UP govt is placing strong emphasis on not only strengthening the sports infrastructure but also on bringing long-stalled schemes to fruition on the ground.With the launch of these two new sports colleges, the total number of operational sports colleges in UP will rise to five. Until now, only the Guru Gobind Singh Sports College in Lucknow, the Veer Bahadur Singh Sports College in Gorakhpur, and the Major Dhyan Chand Sports College in Etawah (Saifai) were operational. Additionally, construction work for another sports college is currently underway in Ballia.The admission process for both the Fatehpur and Saharanpur sports colleges will commence from Class IX. At the Fatehpur facility, sports disciplines such as athletics, hockey, handball and wrestling will be offered. A total of 80 seats are available for admission here. Specifically, 12 seats have been allocated for male athletics runners, 2 for male athletics jumpers, 4 for male throwers, 26 for male hockey players, 4 for male hockey goalkeepers, 10 for male wrestlers and 22 for male handball players.Admissions will also be conducted for a total of 80 seats at the Saharanpur Sports College. Here, 8 seats have been designated for male athletics runners, 6 for male athletics jumpers, 6 for male throwers, 21 for male hockey players, 4 for male hockey goalkeepers, 10 for male judokas, 15 for male boxers and 10 for male weightlifters.Until now, weightlifting was not offered at any sports college. It is being introduced for the first time at the Saharanpur Sports College. To gain admission to these colleges, it is mandatory for the student to be a resident of UP. Admission will be granted to eligible athletes through a rigorous selection process, thereby ensuring that players are chosen strictly on the basis of their talent.Sports secretary Suhas LY said that the CM aims to establish a sports college and a center of excellence in every administrative division of the state. He said that the facilities will provide students with both residential accommodation and educational amenities.
