New Delhi: Delhi Sports University is expected to accept students from Grade 6 in early April next year, Vice Chancellor Karnam Malleswari told HT.
The former Indian weightlifter, who became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal, said the university would accept students based on their interests and various physical ratings.
“We are planning to take on students for our school department from April next year. We are in the process of formalizing the curriculum and building the entire university. We will offer interested candidates the opportunity to enter the school wing of our university and graduate there, ”said Malleswari.
University officials also said they are currently reaching out to various stakeholders, including former athletes and others in the sports field, to develop a “robust” curriculum. “We need to make sure that the curriculum focuses on both the educational and training aspects of the students. That is why we are holding consultations with all stakeholders to decide how best to move forward, ”she said, adding that 70% of the curriculum will focus on sports and the rest on academics.
For now, the university has appointed administrators and operates from the Thyagaraj Sports Complex. Earlier this month, HT reported that due to a delay in the construction of the university campus in Mundka, the Sports University would begin operations from a state school building and sports complex in Civil Lines.
Malleswari said of her own experience: “When we started training, there was very little infrastructural support or knowledge. We often trained barefoot and in the fields. The idea of the university is to identify sports enthusiasts and to offer them the orientation and infrastructure they need to win medals for the country. “
In addition to inviting interested applicants to apply, the university will also send its teams to different parts of the country to look for talent. “Work is underway to create protocols and evaluation criteria for these teams that even cover villages to look for promising candidates,” she said.
In 2019, the Delhi Cabinet decided to found the University of Mundka. Officials said the university will offer subject-specific degrees that are the same as those in other graduate, postgraduate and postgraduate degrees.
