Milkha Singh, Shivnath Singh, Sriram Singh, PT Usha, and more. These names have echoed in the Indian athletics circuit for decades. That was the time when our athletes succeeded despite the system. They ran on cinder tracks, trained without specialized gear, and lacked basic sports science, yet they managed to carry the weight of a nation’s dreams in their hearts.
Today, the narrative has changed. Indian athletes are now part of a synchronized, high-performance ecosystem built on data-driven training and performance tracking.
Access to physiotherapy, nutrition, and mental conditioning, once a luxury for athletes of the past, is now a necessity, and these academies ensure constant, structured support in all these areas.
Coupled with early talent identification systems, this holistic approach is what sets modern training centres apart.
Read takes a look at the elite athletics academies that are rewriting India’s sporting heritage.
Sports Authority of India (SAI)
Established in 1984 after the 1982 Asian Games, the Sports Authority of India (SAI) has been the foundation of the country’s athletics system. Long before private academies came into the picture, SAI was responsible for building and supporting India’s sporting structure.
Today, it runs 187 centres with 9432 athletes training across the country, including National Centres of Excellence (NCOEs), Sports Training Centres, NSTC schools, among others. Its focus is identifying and nurturing talent at different age levels.
SAI’s sports science setup, especially at Patiala, is well developed. Top athletes like Neeraj Chopra have trained within this system.
SAI centres in Bengaluru and Thiruvananthapuram continue to produce quality runners and jumpers, keeping them relevant in India’s evolving athletics ecosystem.
Army Sports Institute, Pune
Established in 2001 under the Indian Army’s “Mission Olympics” programme, Army Sports Institute (ASI) was designed to identify and train elite talent within the armed forces and young civilians.
While the Army provides military precision and long-term athlete development, SAI provides significant funding, sports science equipment, and high-performance coaches.
Over the years, ASI has produced some of India’s finest track and field athletes, especially in middle-distance and endurance events.
The institute provides training under the guidance of internationally renowned foreign and Indian coaches, along with qualified physical trainers. Additionally, a team of specialists in sports medicine, sports physiology, sports psychology, biomechanics, and nutrition support the athletes.
Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS)
Established in 2018 by the JSW Group, the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) is India’s first privately funded high-performance centre with an Olympic focus. The 42-acre campus in Vijayanagar, Karnataka, has quickly become a hub for elite athletes like Avinash Sable, Parul Chaudhary, Jyothi Yarraji, Praveen Chitravel, Murali Sreeshankar among others.
IIS stands out for its strong emphasis on sports science, offering biomechanics analysis, strength and conditioning, recovery, nutrition, and mental training. With world-class infrastructure and international coaching support, it provides a structured pathway for athletes to transition from national-level performers to global contenders.
Reliance Athletics High Performance Centre, Bhubaneswar
The Reliance Foundation Odisha Athletics High Performance Centre (HPC), located within the Kalinga Stadium complex in Bhubaneswar, is one of India’s premier track and field training hubs. Launched in 2019 as a joint initiative between the Odisha Government and Reliance Foundation, the HPC was set up to create a world-class environment that can consistently produce international medal contenders.
Its focus lies heavily on sprinting, relays, and jumps, with athletes benefiting from access to international coaches, exposure trips, and competition planning.
The primary scouting platform is the Reliance Foundation Youth Sports (RFYS), a nationwide grassroots initiative, along with selections through national competitions and targeted trials.
Anju Bobby George Foundation
The Anju Bobby Sports Foundation (ABSF) is a charitable trust founded by legendary long jumper Anju Bobby George and coach Robert Bobby George to nurture young athletics talent, especially girls.
Based in Bengaluru, the foundation focuses on building future champions through scientific training and modern coaching methods.
ABSF works closely with the Sports Authority of India and the Athletics Federation of India, while also partnering with the Gameskraft Foundation. This academy is nurturing the next generation of jumpers with a focused, event-specific approach.
Its most notable success is Shaili Singh, a World U20 Championships silver medallist, highlighting its impact at the grassroots level.
Usha School of Athletics
A residential athletic training institute located in Kinalur, near Kozhikode, Kerala, the Usha School of Athletics was founded by the legendary Indian sprinter PT Usha in 2002.
Its ultimate goal is to produce India’s first Olympic medalist in athletics. The school focuses on identifying and nurturing young female athletes often from as early as 10-12 years to excel in track and field events on a global stage.
The academy has produced top athletes like Tintu Luka, an Olympian and Asian-level medallist.
Madhya Pradesh State Athletics Academy
The Madhya Pradesh State Athletics Academy of Excellence in Bhopal was established in 2007. It offers modern facilities to support athletes across events like pole vault, javelin, shot put, and decathlon.
Athletes are housed in on-campus hostels, with accommodation also available for coaches, ensuring a focused training environment.
It is managed by the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Madhya Pradesh, to nurture athletic talent for national and international competitions
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