Gandhinagar, March 10 The Gujarat government has made a "historic" budgetary allocation of ₹1,331 crore with the aim of transforming the state into a sports hub and developing Ahmedabad as an "Olympic-ready" city, cabinet minister Jitu Vaghani informed the legislative assembly on Tuesday.
Participating in a discussion on the budgetary demands of the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities Department, he noted that the total allocation for the department exceeding ₹2,000 crore reflects the BJP government's strong commitment to building Olympic-level sports infrastructure and nurturing youth talent.
Vaghani, who handles the agriculture portfolio, said Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel's government has undertaken a series of ambitious projects to create world-class sporting facilities and promote sports culture across the state.
"This year, a total allocation of ₹2,006 crore has been made for sports, youth and cultural activities, which is significantly higher than allocations made in previous years. Of this, ₹1,331 crore has been specifically earmarked for the sports sector," the minister said.
He was speaking on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi, who handles the Sports, Youth and Cultural Activities portfolio.
On several occasions in the past, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has expressed India's resolve to host the 2036 Olympic Games.
Earlier this year, Shah expressed confidence that Ahmedabad city would secure the hosting rights for the 2036 Olympic Games. His remarks followed after Ahmedabad was officially awarded the hosting rights for the 2030 Commonwealth Games.
Vaghani declared that Ahmedabad would be developed as an "Olympic-ready" city with an investment of around ₹500 crore as part of the state's broader vision to host and support international-level sporting events in the future.
As part of this initiative, the government plans to develop the SVP Sports Enclave around the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Spanning 335 acres, the enclave will house multiple Olympic-standard facilities, he told the assembly.
The facilities will include an aquatic centre with a seating capacity of 12,000, a tennis centre with a capacity of 24,000 spectators, and a state-of-the-art indoor arena that can accommodate 18,000 people, said the minister.
"These facilities will not only support major international competitions, but will also function as high-performance training centres for athletes after such events," Vaghani emphasised.
He announced that a modern Olympic Games Village with accommodation capacity for around 17,500 athletes will be built on 135 acres at Bhat village near Ahmedabad.
In addition, a new athletics stadium with a seating capacity of 50,000 and a modern shooting range are being constructed on 143 acres of land at the Gujarat Police Academy campus in Karai near Gandhinagar, Vaghani stated.
To strengthen sports infrastructure across the state, the government has proposed a provision of ₹165 crore for the development of new complexes in various districts. Another ₹100 crore has been earmarked for developing Olympic-level sports facilities at Karai, while ₹90 crore will be spent on constructing a world-class hockey stadium in the state, the minister said.
Highlighting the government's efforts to promote sports, Vaghani said the Khel Mahakumbh (mega sports event) initiative has witnessed massive growth since its launch in 2010.
"The number of participants in Khel Mahakumbh has increased from around 16.5 lakh in 2010 to nearly 72 lakh in 2025-26. This reflects a major shift in the sports culture of Gujarat," he insisted.
The minister said the government is also focusing on grassroots-level training for young athletes.
Under the "In-School" training programme, more than 1.29 lakh children are receiving sports training in 230 schools across the state. At an annual cost of around ₹95 crore, over 5,300 promising athletes are being trained and prepared for national and international competitions, he said.
"These athletes have collectively won 170 medals at the national level and 1,938 medals at the state level," Vaghani told the assembly.
Apart from sports, the minister stressed that the government is also investing in the intellectual and cultural development of youth.
A provision of ₹187 crore has been made for the modernization of libraries across the state. Under this initiative, 12 new libraries will be built, while 16 solar-powered reading rooms will be set up in tribal areas, he said.