Madhya Pradesh’s sports push: A complex in each constituency – with a helipad

Madhya Pradesh is preparing to expand its sports infrastructure to a new scale.

The state Cabinet on Tuesday gave in-principle approval to a Rs 962.50-crore budget to build and operate sports complexes across 140 Assembly constituencies.

However, the plan goes beyond another round of stadium construction. The government has decided that the new facilities will be called Chief Minister Sports Complexes.

In a particularly unusual provision, a permanent helipad will be built in the middle of the main ground at each complex to facilitate helicopter movement under the PM Shri scheme.

“There is a plan to develop a Chief Minister Sports Complex in every Assembly constituency of Madhya Pradesh. Over the next five years, complexes will be built at 140 new locations with Rs 960 crore. These complexes will provide coaching, security, and other essential facilities along with indoor-outdoor games. Helipads will also be constructed in these complexes, enabling the landing of air ambulances when needed,” said MSME minister Chetanya Kashyap.

The decision is part of a broader attempt by Madhya Pradesh to build a statewide sports pipeline —from facilities at the constituency level to specialised academies — and turn infrastructure into a mechanism for identifying and training athletes at the grassroots.

The scale of the proposed expansion is significant. The 2026-27 budget provided Rs 815 crore for sports and youth welfare, according to the state government’s budget presentation. The government says the investment intends to make sports facilities accessible beyond established sporting centres.

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Currently, the department operates 11 sports academies covering 18 disciplines, while four hockey turfs and 30 sports stadiums are under construction. The department’s infrastructure list includes specialised facilities for shooting, hockey, archery, equestrian sports, cricket and other disciplines.

A strategy two decades in the making

The state’s strategy has been developing for nearly two decades. The Sports and Youth Welfare Department says its blueprint for making Madhya Pradesh a major sporting state dates back to 2005, followed by the establishment of specialised academies from 2007 to identify talent at the grassroots and provide residential training and competition opportunities.

Madhya Pradesh’s push to build sports infrastructure coincides with a growing network of specialised academies and a recent success in national and international competitions.

The state Sports and Youth Welfare Department says it currently has 700-plus athletes, more than 84 training centres and over 90 coaches, with academies specialising in disciplines including shooting, hockey, athletics, archery, water sports, fencing and equestrian sports.

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The state already has a sizeable infrastructure footprint with the sports department constructing 126 indoor and outdoor sports facilities at 86 development-block headquarters, and another 24 stadiums under construction.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More