Seen in the photo (from left): Malati Kalmadi, Kushal Hegde, Meera Kalmadi, Payal Kalmadi-Bhartia, R. S. Bhartia, and Aditya Bhartia. (Express Photo)The newly developed sports ground and the Suresh Kalmadi Sports Centre was recently inaugurated at the Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School, Pune located in Ganeshnagar and operated by the Kaveri Group of Institutes.Suresh Kalmadi played an important role in giving Pune recognition at an international level, especially in the field of sports . These contributions include the Pune International Marathon, the creation of the Shri Shivchhatrapati Sports City at Mahalunge-Balewadi, and Pune’s successful bid to host the Commonwealth Youth Games in the year 2008.To honour these very contributions, the Suresh Kalmadi Sports Centre has been established at the Kannada Sangha’s Kalmadi Shamrao High School in Ganeshnagar. As part of this initiative, two state-of-the-art basketball courts have been created. The Advik Foundation extended financial assistance amounting to Rs 65 lakh to facilitate the development of these sports facilities at Karnataka High School.Suresh Kalmadi’s wife-Meera Kalmadi; Kannada Sangha President Kushal Hegde; Secretary Malati Kalmadi; Vice Presidents Dr Narayan Hegde and Indira Salian; and Aditya Bhartia and Payal Kalmadi-Bhartia from the Advik Foundation were present at the inauguration function.Suresh Kalmadi’s father, Dr. Shamrao Kalmadi, started the Kannada Sangha so that children from Kannada-speaking families living in Pune could study in their own language.Speaking on the occasion, Meera Kalmadi said that Suresh Kalmadi, who served as a Union Minister and a Member of Parliament for Pune, possessed a deep passion for sports. “He was the first to introduce the international marathon competition to the city of Pune, at its inception, the event saw the participation of 300 individuals. Over time, the prestige of the competition grew exponentially, and the number of participating athletes eventually reached an impressive figure of three lakhs. Meera Kalmadi also appealed to the children on this occasion to participate in sports activities and bring glory to the nation.Speaking on the occasion Malati Kalmadi said, “The organization aims to provide children with world-class facilities; furthermore, sports help children become mentally resilient. The facility established here serves as a pilot project. Over time, it will be expanded to the organization’s other schools. Our endeavor is to encourage and nurture the sporting talents inherent in children.”Story continues below this ad“Kaveri College of Arts, Science, and Commerce has developed a module designed to identify children’s aptitude for sports starting from the third grade. Principal Dr. Mukta Karmarkar and Sports Professor Dr. Rohit Tambe of Kaveri College have made invaluable contributions to this initiative. In every school run by the organization, participation in one individual sport and one art form is mandatory, and the student community is benefiting significantly from this policy”, she added.Aditya Bharatia from the Advik Foundation said “Sports play an important role in shaping a person’s career and have a special power of their own. Suresh Kalmadi had a deep passion for sports.”Dr Narayan Hegde shared that the sports centre has a unique and positive energy. Dr. Rohit Tambe explained that at this centre, children’s physical abilities are tested to help choose the right sport for them, making it easier to train and develop their talent. Sumathi Srinivasan gave the vote of thanks, and Pooja Ambole anchored the programme.Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd