Chandigarh: Haryana sports minister Gaurav Gautam on Friday ordered the closure of 10 sports nurseries in Haryana after a sports department report found violations of operational norms.
The minister recently ordered a ground-level inspection of all government school and panchayat-run sports nurseries to assess infrastructure, coaching standards and athlete participation, while seeking factual reports to curb irregularities.
Following the submission of the ground report, the minister took strict action against these 10 non-compliant nurseries located across multiple districts, including Nuh, Yamunanagar, Hisar and Bhiwani, shutting them down with immediate effect. These included three at Govt Model Culture Schools in Nuh; one cycling nursery at Shaheed Parminder Singh Govt Senior Secondary School in Tejli, Yamunanagar; one boxing nursery at Govt Girls Senior Secondary School in Arya Nagar village, Hisar; two football nurseries at Govt Senior Secondary School, Gangwa, Hisar; two football nurseries at Masudpur Panchayat, Hisar; and two nurseries for boxing and volleyball at GMSSS Bhiwani.
According to departmental findings, several serious irregularities were observed in the functioning of these nurseries. Key issues included lack of essential sports equipment, absence of modern training facilities, poorly maintained playgrounds posing injury risks to players, and discrepancies between recorded athlete enrolment and actual attendance on the ground. The minister emphasised that such lapses compromise both athlete safety and the credibility of the state's sports development system.
The closures are part of a broader crackdown on mismanagement in sports infrastructure across Haryana. The minister has directed further inspections to ensure compliance and prevent future violations.
