Bangalore University has turned down the demand for a 100-acre plot of land on Jnanabharati Campus for the premier Olympic Training Centre, proposed by the Union government to train athletes for Olympic games.The Union Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports had requested the State government to allot unutilised land adjacent to the university and adjoining the existing Sports Authority of India (SAI), Netaji Subhash Southern Centre (NSSC).“About 81 acres of land was given to the SAI, NSSC on the Jnanabharati campus in 1974. Additional 100 acres of land is not available for the proposed Olympic Training Centre at one place. Therefore, we have rejected the request of the Union government,” said Jayakara S.M., Vice-Chancellor, Bangalore University.Back in 1974The SAI NSSC Bengaluru, established on April 13, 1974, is presently located on the Jnanabharathi campus of Bangalore University. Situated in over an area of 81.2 acres, the centre serves as the Regional Headquarters for Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, implementing sports promotional schemes of the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, including Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS), Khelo India, and National Centre of Excellence (NCOE).At present, the SAI NSSC Bengaluru hosts nearly 300 elite Indian team athletes participating in National Coaching Camps (NCCs) across disciplines such as Hockey, Athletics, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Kabaddi, Water Polo, etc. These camps play a crucial role in preparing India’s national teams for major international competitions, including the Olympic Games, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games.Additionally, about 300 athletes are enrolled in the NCOE, receiving year-round residential training in Athletics, Hockey, and Volleyball under expert coaches and a comprehensive sports science support system. The centre currently houses eight hostels with a total capacity of 1,000 residents and proudly holds a 5-Star FSSAI Certification, making it one of the finest high-performance training environments in India and among the top globally.Space constraintsHowever, the centre is constrained by limited land and infrastructure, insufficient for Olympic-level preparation. In contrast, international Olympic Training Centres typically have multiple turfs, pools, tracks, indoor arenas, and specialised recovery and sports science facilities.Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister for Labour & Employment and Youth Affairs & Sports, had written to the State government of Karnataka and requested to allot 100 acres of unutilised land located adjacent to the Bangalore University boundary and adjoining the existing SAI NSSC premises.He said the expansion will enable the SAI NSSC Bengaluru to accommodate an additional 400 to 500 national-level athletes, train more coaches and sports science professionals, host international-level camps, and establish a holistic Olympic ecosystem. This, he added, would be “transforming Bengaluru into the epicentre of the nation’s Olympic excellence”.The Principal Secretary of the Higher Education Department had instructed the Executive Director of the Karnataka State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) to look into this matter and submit a report. The official, in turn, inspected the land and held discussions with the Vice-Chancellor of the university.The Vice-Chancellor clearly refused to allocate land, explaining that more than 300 acres of land on the campus has already been allocated to various institutions. He said that the land is needed for further extension of the university. Therefore, we have clearly stated that we would not allocate the land for any reason.How much given outThe Jnanabharathi Campus is spread across 1,201 acres, and the government has given parcels of land on lease to various institutes. As per records, 278 acres have been leased out to 26 educational institutions, including National Law School of India University. As many as 34.4 acres of land is illegally occupied and 43.24 acres of land is disputed. Out of the encroached areas, cases are pending in courts regarding 19 acres.