Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], June 27 (ANI): The transformation of India's sports infrastructure over the past decade has not gone unnoticed, especially by those who've seen it evolve firsthand. From once being a facility with limited resources to now being hailed as one of the world's best, the Sports Authority of India's National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) in Bengaluru stands as a symbol of India's sporting ambition.

Former world championship medallist and India's legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George, who trained extensively at SAI Bengaluru during her playing career, couldn't hide her pride in how far the facility has come.

'I'm extremely proud to say I was a SAI NCOE Bengaluru athlete. I got India's first world championship medal training here, so this is my home ground. I was here for so many years, and I can clearly see the changes, better infrastructure, better administration. It's now a full package,' she said.

Anju pointed out that the once modest facilities have now expanded into a world-class training environment, with multiple tracks for athletics and hockey, upgraded hostel and dining facilities, and enhanced athlete management systems.

'The hostel facilities have improved, training amenities have improved, there are multiple athletic and hockey tracks now. It's a complete transformation and this change is reflected in the performance of our athletes too,' she added.

Having trained around the world, including in Europe and the United States, Anju was unequivocal in her assessment of the centre.

'I've trained in almost every part of the world, Europe, America and I can vouch that the place we are standing in right now is among the world's best training centres,' she declared.

Anju also praised the collective approach being taken by Indian sporting bodies and the government.

'India is being led by sports-loving leadership. So that is the difference and see every athlete now going for medal, it's not just going for and coming back. And see the infrastructure what we are having here, the entire country changed drastically and Bengaluru, this is one centre, but every part from grass root till the elite level, changes are there,' she said.

Shivendra Singh, assistant coach of the Indian men's hockey team, also praised the SAI NCOE Bengaluru for its evolution, particularly in offering an athlete-friendly atmosphere that promotes high performance.

'Whenever I come here, I never go outside. The environment is so pure you can feel the oxygen levels, the greenery. The food here is world-class,' said Shivendra, who himself was part of the system during his playing days.

He reminisced about the limitations of the past and how far the facility has come since then.

'When I used to come as a player, there were not so many facilities here. There was no rehab centre. There was no extra gym for the players. There was only one gym which was common. Now there is a separate recovery centre for hockey and athletes. So you never have to wait. You put your timing and you can come and do rehab or recovery,' he said.

Shivendra stressed how important nutrition has become in the modern athlete's life.

'Now we have dietitians and nutritionists. They tell you the calculation, how much food you should eat and how much you should not eat.So somewhere it helps us a lot,' he added.

As the coach of India's 'A' team, Shivendra understands the role such centres play in grooming the next generation of international stars.

'Personally, I feel honoured to be the coach of the A-team. It comes with great responsibility. We're building the country's backup, the future stars. The first-time campers must be shown the right direction,' he said.

He was the assistant coach with the national team that won a bronze medal in the Paris Olympics.

He revealed that several promising talents have emerged from recent national championships.

'Out of the players I am seeing now, 8-9 players are very good. They hadn't been part of the camp earlier, but now they're improving rapidly. We have a tour coming up next month, and I'm hopeful they'll perform well. International exposure is very different from domestic play, but this will be a great experience for them,' he said. (ANI)