North East's first Swimming Centre of Excellence set for Assam's Amingaon
Synopsis
The Northeast just got its first dedicated swimming Centre of Excellence — a tripartite deal between SAI, BAI, and the Sports Authority of Assam puts an Olympic-size pool at Amingaon at the heart of a new high-performance pathway for swimmers from a region that has long been starved of elite sports infrastructure.
Key Takeaways
A tripartite agreement was signed on 29 August between SAI , BAI , and SAA for a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Swimming in Assam .
The facility at Amingaon Sports Complex will be the first swimming NCoE in the entire North Eastern Region .
An Olympic-size swimming pool at the complex will be made available to SAI for the centre.
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma hosted the signing event; Sports Minister Bijuli Kalita Medhi was also present.
The centre aims to create a structured pathway from grassroots to national and international competition for northeastern swimmers.
A tripartite agreement was signed on Saturday, 29 August between the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Badminton Association of India (BAI), and the Sports Authority of Assam (SAA) to establish a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for Swimming at the Amingaon Sports Complex in Assam. The facility will be the first NCoE dedicated to swimming in the entire North Eastern Region, officials confirmed.
What the Agreement Covers
Under the pact, the Olympic-size swimming pool at the Amingaon Sports Complex will be made available to SAI for setting up the high-performance centre. The NCoE framework is designed to offer specialised coaching, professional support systems, and world-class infrastructure — all closer to home for athletes from Assam and the broader northeastern states, who have historically had to travel far for elite-level training.
Who Was Present
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hosted the signing event. State Sports Minister and Member of Parliament Bijuli Kalita Medhi, along with senior officials, were also in attendance. Representing SAI were Deputy Director General Manjushree Dayanand and Executive Director of the SAI Regional Centre, Guwahati, D.K. Mittal.
Why This Matters for the Northeast
The North East has long been underserved in terms of high-performance sports infrastructure. This initiative directly addresses that gap by bringing a central-government-backed excellence centre to the region. Officials said the NCoE would focus on identifying promising swimmers at grassroots level and nurturing them through to national and international competition — creating a structured, end-to-end athletic pathway that previously did not exist in the region.
Notably, the move aligns with the broader national push to diversify India's high-performance sports base beyond traditional strongholds. The Northeast has produced competitive athletes across disciplines, but swimming has remained an area where regional talent has lacked institutional support.
What Happens Next
The Amingaon Sports Complex is expected to emerge as a key training hub for swimming in the Northeast once the NCoE becomes operational. The initiative brings together central and state sports bodies with the stated objective of building a sustainable ecosystem for athlete development. The timeline for the centre becoming fully functional has not yet been officially announced, but the tripartite agreement is the foundational step toward operationalisation.
Point of View
But the real measure will be execution speed and athlete throughput. India's high-performance sports map has historically clustered infrastructure in metros and a handful of state capitals — the Northeast has been a persistent blind spot. Bringing an Olympic-pool-backed centre to Guwahati is a structural correction, not just a political gesture. The harder question is whether coaching depth, scouting pipelines, and competition exposure will match the infrastructure investment. A pool without a talent identification system is just a building.
NationPress
29 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the National Centre of Excellence for Swimming in Assam?
It is a high-performance swimming facility being set up at the Amingaon Sports Complex in Assam under a tripartite agreement signed on 29 August between SAI, BAI, and the Sports Authority of Assam. It will be the first NCoE dedicated to swimming in the North Eastern Region, offering specialised coaching and Olympic-standard infrastructure to athletes from across the Northeast.
Where exactly will the swimming NCoE be located?
The centre will be housed at the Amingaon Sports Complex in Assam, where an existing Olympic-size swimming pool will be made available to SAI for the facility.
Who signed the tripartite agreement for the Assam swimming centre?
The agreement was signed by representatives of the Sports Authority of India (SAI), the Badminton Association of India (BAI), and the Sports Authority of Assam (SAA). The event was hosted by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Why is this NCoE significant for the North East?
It is the first National Centre of Excellence for swimming in the entire North Eastern Region, addressing a long-standing gap in elite sports infrastructure. Athletes from Assam and neighbouring northeastern states will now have access to high-quality training facilities and professional coaching closer to home, reducing the need to relocate for elite-level development.
When will the Assam swimming NCoE become operational?
An official timeline for full operationalisation has not yet been announced. The tripartite agreement signed on 29 August is the foundational step, with further details on launch timelines expected from SAI and state authorities.
