Patiala: Indian fencers praised the newly built high-performance centre at Netaji Subhas National Institute of Sports (NSNIS), Patiala, saying it will give a boost to the specialised Olympic sport. Developed at an estimated total cost of Rs 22.83 crore by the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the centre features state-of-the-art infrastructure, providing an international-level training environment for athletes.The facility houses a fully functional, multipurpose indoor fencing hall, supporting integrated sports science services, advanced strength and conditioning facilities, and structured athlete recovery under 1 roof. The multipurpose indoor hall is equipped with international-standard infrastructure, including pistes and electronic scoring systems, enabling a high-performance, competition-simulated training environment for fencers.A 24-member Indian sabre senior team, including 12 men and 12 women, are currently training under head coach Sagar Lagu at the new HPC, with an eye on winning medals at this year’s Asian Games in Japan.Praising the world-class facility, Sagar, who also doubles up as chief coach for the Fencing Association of India (FAI), said, “Multipurpose halls are at other SAI facilities as well, but having an exclusive hall dedicated to fencing, with all equipment in 1 place, is something that makes it one of a kind in the entire country. With my experience, I can say it is the best facility in India as of now. This HPC opened just 20-25 days back, and we started with a national camp for the Asian Games the moment it was handed over to us.“
