When you think about Rajgira, an ancient city with a lot of cultural heritage, the first idea will not be about sport. After all, the city is known for being a Buddhist pilgrimage site and a tourist hotspot, which also has the oldest residential university in the world, Laland.
But these days the city is known for being the driving force of the Bihar Sports Revolution. The Asian Asian Champions trophy took place in the city last year, the tournament under the umbrella of the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Khelo India Youth Games then took place in May this year, followed by the U20 Asia Rugby 7s tournament in August and then the Male Asia Cup, where India is fighting to seal its place for the World Cup 2026 along with seven teams.
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All of this was possible because of the most modern sports facility in the city in the form of a sports complex Rajgir. Inspiration from Colorado Springs, USA, is spreading to 97.9 acres, also located Bihar Sports University and offers training facilities in 24 sports disciplines, including indoor and outdoor games. According to the Bihar State Sports Authority website, you will find an athletic track, football field, hockey lawns and basketball courts, volleyball, handball, grass tennis and badminton. The sports complex will have training facilities for 24 different sports disciplines (Credit: Bihar State Sports Authority)
It is planned to have five halls in the complex that will be placed in internal games. Two of them are currently functional, with shooting and separate arena for weightlifting, match and Kabaddi. There is also a sports scientific laboratory that tends to be the rapid medical needs of athletes.
In addition, there are fully air -conditioned hostels for male and female athletes in the complex, 100 -digit capacity of Transit Hostel, residential accommodation for coaches and mess that 324 people can hold.
Currently, the highlight of the International Cricket Stadium, which is approaching its completion, is the highlight of the complex. Recently, he approved the cabinet led by the main Minister Bihar Nitish Kumar a proposal to transfer the 45,000 stadium management to the Bihar cricket association and has prepared a way for domestic and international matches that take place in the near future. All this was possible in a short time, with the University campus opened on August 29, 2024. The Rajgir cricket stadium is expected to be completed by the end of the year (with permission: Bihar State Sports Authority)
Revival of sports culture Bihar
When he talked about how the sports complex became a reality, Mr. Ravendran Sankaran, CEO of DG CUM CUM, Bihar State Sports Authority (BSSA), quickly recognized Bihar Cm Nitish Kumar and said his vision to create world -class devices.
“I would give all the credit to our honorary chief Minister Mr. Nitish Kumar, because three years back, when he sent me as a DG Bihar State Sports office, he gave me one mandate. He said,” He created a sport as a Bihar movement, “and gave me anything I asked.
“He was looking for a place for the development of a high -performance center. And he also planned to have one big sports complex. As part of the Academic Sports University and the training academy for training purposes, all surrounded in one complex. It was his visionary vision. It was his visionary vision. 7s (Credit: Bihar State Sports Authority)
While many do not have to connect sport with Bihar, Mr. Sankaran said that the Rajgir complex is here to revive the once famous sport culture of the state.
“As far as inheritance is concerned, I would say Bihar has his own sporting heritage. The Indian Olympic movement began in Bihar. And the Olympic Association of the Indian Association was first founded in Bihar and runs in the state for the first 15 years. They said it was, ”we said it was a switch.
If you have such a sports complex, the comparison must come. Odisha has his own revolutionary sports model And prospering the Kaling stadium in the forefront of things.
But for Bihar, the idea of competition with other states is not, but having your own identity with a sustainable plan. And this is a place where the sports complex is well suited.
“We are not trying to compete with Odish or another state, but yes, when developing sports infrastructure, it differs a bit from other states. We are not developing or not building huge stadiums with a capacity of 50,000-60,000 that cannot be maintained in the future.
Commonwealth Games Dream games and a five -year -old target
As for any ambitious sports project, one of the dreams will one day organize the Olympics. India has its own dream of welcoming one of the largest sports events in 2036 on its shores, with many states and cities eagerly to serve as hosts.
Although there is always the urge to put your name in a hat for being an Olympic city, Mr. Sankaran wants things to take step by step and in fact focus on Commonwealth games in 2030, the center plays a role in the Indian offer.
While Ahmedabad has been named the ideal venueBSSA CEO hopes that Bihar will look at the complex in the forefront.
“As a state, we would like to slowly climb the ladder to 2036. We would like to apply for an Indian government to become commonwealth in India to give us one or two games to host here.
When the cricket stadium occurred, Mr. Sankaran was positive that the work would be completed before the end of the year and the venue could host the international game by next year.
“We are very positive that you will be done on the turn of the year and you can see the stadium next year. We all believe it will happen (international cricket game) and anything we believe happened,” said Mr. Sankaran.
The five -year plan of the complex was simple for the BSSA CEO: he made Rajgir Sports Complex the Center of Excellence for the Eastern and Northeast Regions of the Earth.
“From today to the next five years, we want this State Sports Academy in Rajgir to be the center of excellence, not only for the Bihar state, but for the entire Eastern and Northeast Region. The hometown.
So this center in 5 years will appear as a high -performance center that will satisfy the Eastern and Northeast States. Which will take care of all these things. Less travel for athletes and adapting their climatic and food habits is what our vision is, ”said Mr. Sankaran.
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Published on:
September 6, 2025
