Four and half years gone by since the Khelo India State Centre of Excellence (KISCoE) in Fencing opened in March 2022 with in the MA Stadium Complex in Jammu, but the advance sports training facility was still short of basic pre-requisites of independent residential accommodation and mess.
The Centrally sponsored scheme extended by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), continued to get the grant-in-aid without fulfilling its ultimate objective of producing champion stuff from J&K.
“Without a secured and safe residential facility and mess that too close to the training facility, the ultimate purpose and concept of KISCoE is defeated. Four and half years are too long to establish the basic needs of an advance training centre,” expressing his concern a former coach of SAI told Sportsline.
Further, the existing coaching facility of KISCoE within the new indoor complex, has been mixed up with the District Coaching Centre (DCC) of the J&K Sports Council (JKCC).Not only the training sessions and time schedule, the fencers and coaches have also been inter-mingled for unknown reasons.
“Both the training facilities are different in nature. So mixing the enrolled trainees and appointed coaches of KISCoE and DCC is something uncalled for and needs to be looked into and addressed by the sponsoring agency of KISCoE,” added the coach.
It has been reliably learned that the KISCoE battles for its existence due to the non-participation of trainees enrolled in 2022 in view of the missing hostel and mess.
Sources disclosed that, asper the MoU signed between the J&K Sports Council and the Sports Authority of India, providing hostel facilities under the residential scheme to outstation athletes is one of the key conditions of the guidelines, which is not visible on the ground.
As per the guidelines, the KISCoE must have manpower comprising a High Performance Manager, Technical Director, Head Coach, Assistant Coach, Physiologist, Nutritionist/Dietician, Masseur, Doctor/Sports Injury Management Team, Yoga Instructor, Strength and Conditioning Trainer, Physiotherapist, Conditioning and Biometrics Experts.
The Jammu Centre presently has a female Assistant Coach, appointed nearly 18 months after the resignation of her predecessor, along with a strength and conditioning expert, conditioning trainer, physiotherapist and nutritionist.
Important to mention here that Jammu and Kashmir was awarded two Centres of Excellence-one each in Jammu for Fencing and Srinagar for Rowing.
As per the official figures, from 2021-22 to 2025-26, Rs 5.718 crore was released for Jammu and Kashmir State Khelo India Centres of Excellence (SCoEs), out of which Rs 3.963 crore were utilised.
As per the pact signed between the J&K Sports Council and the SAI to professionally run the KISCoE, it was agreed that the SAI would fund the monthly salaries and equipment for the athletes, while the JKSC, with administrative control, would have to arrange meals, accommodation, a fencing court for imparting training, a physio section, gymnasium and massage centre, along with other basic facilities.
Besides, health and life insurance cover for athletes as per the National Centre of Excellence (NCoE)scheme to cover the risk factor, and updating daily working and training sessions on the National Sports Repository System (NSRS) Portal are also mandatory for transparency, along with Olympic-standard equipment and sports science equipment.