ANI Photo | Union sports minister meets women hockey players at SAI Madikeri Centre
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya visited the Sports Authority of India (SAI) Training Centre in Madikeri on May 2 and engaged with women hockey players from the Kodava community at the conclusion of a month-long hockey festival.
Mandaviya emphasised the importance of nurturing talent from across India to achieve the nation’s ambitions of becoming a global sports powerhouse. He highlighted the contributions of the Kodava community in promoting field hockey, noting that Kodagu district is considered one of the cradles of Indian hockey. Over 50 players from the community have represented India internationally, including seven Olympians such as P Govinda, MP Ganesh, MM Somaiya and CS Poonacha.
“Future Olympians in the making! Met with the rising stars of Indian Hockey from the SAI Training Centre (STC), Madikeri, Karnataka,” Mandaviya stated in a post on X.
The minister remarked that the Union Government is committed to developing a comprehensive sports ecosystem and identified the forthcoming 2030 Commonwealth Games in Ahmedabad as a positive step. He added that India’s rich talent pool provides strong prospects for sporting dominance.
“Taking inspiration from our Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, the Sports Ministry is committed to nurturing the wide talent pool available across various parts of the nation. Unearthing and nurturing talent from different parts of the country can only ensure that we fulfil the dream of Modi ji. The bigger the talent pool, more the chances of us performing better in big ticket events. I am confident that both Indian men and women will register solid performance in the Commonwealth Games in 2030, where hockey is likely to make a return,” Mandaviya said.
The SAI Training Centre in Madikeri spans 5.49 acres in the hill station region of Kodagu District, approximately 1,100 metres above sea level. It operates as a feeder centre for 22 National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs) across India. Facilities include an artificial hockey turf, a 60-bed hostel, dining hall and kitchen. Around 50 girls from the Kodava community train there for various hockey events organised across Karnataka.
source: http://www.thenewsmill.com / The News Mill / Home> Sports / by The News Mill (with ANI inputs / May 02nd, 2026
