Sports training centre to come up at Yelagiri Hills.

A high-altitude training centre will be established at Yelagiri Hills. The facility will be set up by the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).

Collector S.A. Raman on Friday inspected the site where the high-altitude training centre is coming up at Manjakollaipudur on Yelagiri Hills. Officials said around 8.50 acres of land has been handed over to the District Sports Officer for the centre while the Public Works Department is preparing the estimate for the project.

It is proposed that the facility would have 400-metre eight-lane track and field. There would be a gallery too at the high-altitude centre.

It would have a hockey field, volley ball and basket ball courts, gym hall, and kabaddi court.

The facility would house accommodation facilities, officials said. An official said at present, Ooty housed a similar training facility. “When sportspersons train at high altitude areas where the oxygen level is less, they can put up better performance in their actual game arena. Their endurance on the hill will help them increase their performance on the ground,” an officer said.

Once the centre comes up, even national teams would be able to train here in future, he added. Officials were waiting for the funds to be sanctioned to kick-start work on the facility.

THE HINDU