Pune: Suresh Kalmadi Sports Centre inaugurated at Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School

Pune, 28th March 2026: The newly developed sports ground and the ‘Suresh Kalmadi Sports Centre’ was recently inaugurated at the Dr Kalmadi Shamrao High School, Pune located in Ganeshnagar and operated by the Kaveri Group of Institutes.

Suresh Kalmadi’s wife-Meera Kalmadi; Kannada Sangha President Kushal Hegde; Secretary Malati Kalmadi; Vice Presidents Indira Salian & Dr Narayan Hegde, Aditya Bhartia & Payal Kalmadi-Bhartia from the Advik Foundation were present at the inauguration function.

Suresh Kalmadi’s father, Dr. Shamrao Kalmadi, started the Kannada Sangha so that children from Kannada-speaking families living in Pune could study in their own language.

Suresh Kalmadi also played an important role in giving Pune recognition at the international level, especially in the field of sports. These contributions include the Pune International Marathon, the creation of the Shree Shivchhatrapati Sports City at Mahalunge- Balewadi, and Pune’s successful bid to host the Commonwealth Youth Games in the year 2008.

To honor these very contributions, the Suresh Kalmadi Sports Centre has been established at the Kannada Sangha’s Dr. Kalmadi Shamrao High School in Ganeshnagar. As part of this initiative, two state-of-the-art basketball courts have been created. The Advik Foundation extended financial assistance amounting to ₹65 Lakhs to facilitate the development of these sports facilities at Dr. Kalmadi Shamrao High School.

Speaking on the occasion, Meera Kalmadi said that Suresh Kalmadi, who served as a Union Minister and a Member of Parliament for Pune, possessed a deep passion for sports. He was the first to introduce the international marathon competition to the city of Pune, at its inception, the event saw the participation of 300 individuals. Over time, the prestige of the competition grew exponentially, and the number of participating athletes eventually reached an impressive figure of three lakhs. Meera Kalmadi also appealed to the children on this occasion to participate in sports activities and bring glory to the nation.

Speaking on the occasion Malati Kalmadi said, “The organization aims to provide children with world-class facilities; furthermore, sports help children become mentally resilient. The facility established here serves as a pilot project. Over time, it will be expanded to the organization’s other schools. Our endeavour is to encourage and nurture the sporting talents inherent in children.”

“Kaveri College of Arts, Science, and Commerce has developed a module designed to identify children’s aptitude for sports starting from the third grade. Principal Dr. Mukta Karmarkar and Sports Professor Dr. Rohit Tambe of Kaveri College have made invaluable contributions to this initiative. In every school run by the organization, participation in one individual sport and one art form is mandatory, and the student community is benefiting significantly from this policy”, she added.

Aditya Bharatia from the Advik Foundation said “Sports play an important role in shaping a person’s career and have a special power of their own. Suresh Kalmadi had a deep passion for sports.”

Dr Narayan Hegde shared that the sports Centre has a unique and positive energy. Dr. Rohit Tambe explained that at this Centre, children’s physical abilities are tested to help choose the right sport for them, making it easier to train and develop their talent. Sumathi Srinivasan gave the vote of thanks, and Pooja Ambole anchored the program.