Schools across India are rethinking the role of sports in education, moving past the old model of a single playground to systems that resemble full athletic ecosystems. Parents are asking sharper questions about safety, fitness and opportunity. Students expect organised coaching instead of casual games. And institutions, from K-12 schools to major universities, are responding with new surfaces, lighting, multi-sport spaces and structured programmes. To understand how these shifts are unfolding on the ground, we spoke with Nasir Ali, Founder and CEO Gallant Sports & Infra, who works closely with schools upgrading their sports environments.
1. In your experience, how much weight are parents and students giving to sports facilities when they are choosing schools and colleges today?
Parents today see sports as essential to overall development. Strong infrastructure signals a school's commitment to fitness, discipline and exposure. We see families actively choosing institutions with quality turfs, lighting and coaching because it reflects a modern, balanced learning environment.
When parents tour schools today, they're evaluating sports facilities as a core indicator of institutional quality. Quality turfs, proper lighting systems, and professional coaching staff communicate that the institution values comprehensive development. Parents understand that a child spending time on a well-maintained sports ground with certified coaches is learning discipline, teamwork, and time management alongside physical fitness.
The influence extends to university admissions as well. Major institutions like IIT Madras and Delhi University now offer Sports Excellence Admission programmes and substantial sports quotas with scholarships, signalling that athletic achievement has legitimate value in higher education.
The National Education Policy 2020 further legitimised this perspective by advocating for balanced development where physical education receives equal emphasis as academics. Schools aligned with this vision are experiencing enrolment advantages because they're offering comprehensive development.
2. When schools decide to upgrade their sports infrastructure, what kinds of facilities or features tend to come first?
Schools are upgrading all-weather turfs, lighting and multi-sport zones first. These improvements instantly boost participation because students enjoy professional, safe spaces. For parents, these upgrades show seriousness, and for students, they make sports aspirational.
Traditional natural grass fields become unusable during monsoons and develop uneven patches that directly cause injuries. Modern synthetic turfs remain playable year-round, support significantly more usage hours than natural grass, and reduce injury risk through consistent shock-absorption.
Lighting systems are the second priority because they fundamentally expand programme access. LED floodlighting enables evening training and extends coaching availability, allowing schools to host competitive events that generate community engagement.
Multi-sport zones address space constraints that plague urban schools. Modern facilities accommodate football, hockey, cricket, basketball, and volleyball within single, compact areas.
The participation impact is immediate and measurable. When students encounter professional-grade facilities with proper equipment, trained coaches, and well-maintained grounds, they engage differently. Sport shifts from casual activity to something aspirational. Students participating in organised sports achieve higher academic performance than non-athletic peers.
3. Parents often worry about the risk of injuries when children play organised sport in school. Based on your experience, how serious are those risks in reality?
Most school sports injuries are minor and usually linked to poor surfaces or technique. With proper infrastructure, supervision and warm-up routines, the risk reduces sharply. Parents' concerns are natural, but structured sports environments remain one of the safest ways to build fitness and confidence.
The crucial insight is that injury causation is largely preventable. Research shows that a significant portion of injuries are attributed to poor ground conditions and faulty technique. These aren't inevitable consequences of athletic participation. Schools with well-maintained surfaces, certified coaches emphasising proper technique, and structured warm-up protocols demonstrably reduce injury rates.
Supervision quality directly impacts safety. Schools implementing consistent supervision, mandatory warm-up protocols, and appropriate conditioning create measurably safer environments. Exercise-based injury prevention programmes significantly reduce injuries, demonstrating that structured approaches work. Key elements include pre-participation medical evaluations, age-appropriate equipment fitting, mandatory protective gear policies, safe playing surface maintenance, certified coaching with proper technique instruction, and appropriate medical support.
The broader health context supports athletic participation. Benefits include improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced obesity risk, enhanced mental well-being, and developed social skills. These benefits substantially outweigh the relatively modest injury risks when schools maintain proper infrastructure, supervision, and safety protocols.
4. Why are so many schools shifting from simple playgrounds to more structured sports ecosystems with synthetic surfaces and multi-sport areas?
Schools are moving beyond basic fields because expectations have evolved. Students need safe, high-performance spaces, and parents want holistic development. Modern materials and compact, multi-sport designs make it possible to create professional ecosystems on any campus, driving this rapid shift. The National Education Policy 2020 explicitly advocated for balanced development emphasising physical education equally with academics. Schools embracing this philosophy understand that athletic infrastructure develops critical non-cognitive skills essential for success.
India confronts a compelling health imperative driving this shift. A significant portion of Indian children don't meet WHO physical activity benchmarks, contributing to rising childhood obesity.
Structured ecosystems with reliable surfaces, lighting, and trained coaches make daily physical activity genuinely accessible rather than weather-dependent. The economics also favours structured infrastructure. Synthetic surfaces reduce maintenance costs significantly while lasting many years, making them more cost-effective overall.
Technological advances have enabled this shift. Modern synthetic surface technology, LED lighting systems, and modular designs have made professional-grade infrastructure accessible to schools with diverse constraints. Government support reinforces momentum. Khelo India and the Samagra Shiksha scheme signal policy commitment encouraging infrastructure prioritisation.
5. Looking across different kinds of schools in India, how would you describe the current state of sports infrastructure for students?
Quality varies widely. Leading schools now follow strong safety and equipment standards, but many still rely on outdated grounds. The Indian sports infrastructure landscape presents contrasts. The country has facilities meeting international standards, but a significant portion of government schools lack dedicated sports grounds entirely, particularly in rural areas. This disparity means millions of students attend institutions without adequate space for structured physical education.
Equipment safety compliance is inconsistent across schools. These deficiencies directly impact student safety and participation quality. Supervision represents a significant gap. India faces substantial shortages of trained Physical Education teachers, with gaps particularly pronounced in rural regions. Many government schools assign general teachers without sports training due to staffing limitations.
Urban-rural and public-private disparities are pronounced. Urban private schools often feature superior facilities and coaching. Government schools, particularly rural institutions, frequently rely on limited infrastructure. However, positive momentum is building. Regional governments are announcing modern sports ground developments with professional coaching partnerships. Government initiatives are sanctioning multiple sports infrastructure projects. Private sector CSR initiatives are increasing, and technology integration is beginning to enhance infrastructure effectiveness in resource-constrained environments.
