Deoli (Rajasthan) [India], January 22 (ANI) The Central Industrial Security (CISF) has advanced a proposal to establish its first specialised southern regional 'Centre of Excellence' in Tamil Nadu's Thakkolam, aimed at strengthening sports infrastructure and promoting sporting excellence.

The facility is to be established at the Recruits Training Centre (RCT) in Thakkolam, in a significant move to strengthen India's sports ecosystem and encourage wider participation in competitive sports.

Under the initiative, the CISF will develop specialised 'Centres of Excellence' in badminton, fencing, cycling, and tennis, aimed at creating world-class training facilities and nurturing sporting talent.

CISF Director General Praveer Ranjan made the announcement at the force's Deoli RTC while addressing the passing out parade of the 7th batch of Head Constable (GD) recruits in the force. The ceremony marked the passing out of the force's largest-ever sports batch comprising 324 personnel.

'To further strengthen and encourage sports participation, the Ministry of Home Affairs has entrusted the CISF with the responsibility of establishing 'Centres of Excellence' for badminton, fencing, cycling, and tennis in the southern region. Accordingly, a proposal has been advanced to establish a southern regional centre at RTC Thakkolam, aimed at strengthening sports infrastructure and promoting sporting excellence,' Ranjan said.

In the coming days, the 1993-batch Indian Police Service officer said, 'The CISF will establish additional 'Centres of Excellence' for various sports disciplines at other training centres as well.'

'In this endeavour, we will move forward in coordination with the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports,' mentioned the CISF chief.

Officials said the initiative aligns with the government's broader vision of identifying and developing sporting talent at an early stage while ensuring access to high-quality infrastructure across regions.

The move is expected to contribute significantly to India's long-term sporting ambitions and talent development efforts.

Of the 324 newly trained sportspersons who passed out on Thursday from Deoli RTC, 18 are international-level gold medalists, while 56 are national-level gold medalists. Of these sportspersons, 171 are women, and 153 are men.

CISF DG described the batch as a historic move, noting 'they were selected under the largest-ever sports recruitment drive conducted by the CISF during July-August 2025.'

'This achievement holds a very significant place in the history of the CISF,' the DG said.

'This is not merely a numerical achievement; it is clear evidence that the CISF has laid a strong and new foundation in identifying, selecting, and nurturing sporting talent,' added Ranjan.

Of the 324 recruits who completed four months of basic training, marks a significant milestone in CISF's efforts to strengthen both security and sports excellence simultaneously.

The CISF, under the Ministry of Home Affairs, is one of India's leading armed police forces. Established in 1969 with around 3,000 personnel to protect public sector undertakings and government installations, the force has evolved into a multi-dimensional organisation. Its responsibilities now include airport security; protection of government buildings and monuments; disaster management; VIP security; security of the Delhi Metro and major industrial establishments across the country; protection of Parliament; and, most recently, port security.

The Government of India has decided to deploy CISF at all major ports, marking a significant contribution by the force in this sector.

As a result, Ranjan further said, CISF's strength has now grown to nearly two lakh personnel and is expected to increase further in the coming years.

As mentioned earlier, CISF trains its personnel through one training academy, six regional training centres, one fire service training centre, and one dog training centre. The Deoli Training Centre is a highly historic institution, established in 1984.

The force has achieved remarkable sporting success. In 2024 and 2025, the CISF teams delivered outstanding performances at the All India Police Games. The women's teams secured impressive victories in athletics, kabaddi, and weightlifting, while the men's teams won medals in judo, taekwondo, football, and wrestling.

In 2025-26, the women's team of the CISF won gold in weightlifting and finished runners-up in wrestling, boxing, and judo, while the men's team achieved victories in wrestling, weightlifting, and taekwondo.

CISF personnel have also excelled at the international level. In 2024, Head Constable Abhimanyu won a bronze medal at the Senior Asian Freestyle and Greco-Roman Wrestling Championship in Kyrgyzstan and a gold medal at the Under-23 and Under-17 Asian Championships in Amman, Jordan. In 2025, Head Constable Ritu won gold medals at the Sixth Asian Women's Kabaddi Championship in Tehran, Iran, and the Second Kabaddi World Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

In 2024-25, the CISF athletes won two medals at the international level, 28 medals at the national level, and 129 medals at the All India Police Games. In 2025-26, this number increased significantly to 73 international medals, 97 national medals, and 41 medals at the Police Games. (ANI)