New sports institute in Jubbal aims to boost opportunities for girls from Shimla district
Jubbal, Shimla district: The state government on Friday inaugurated the Thakur Ramlal Girls’ School of Sports in Jubbal, designating it as Himachal Pradesh’s first recognised School of Sports for girls, Education Minister Rohit Thakur announced at the ceremony.
The minister also laid the foundation stone for an additional building for the institute, with construction estimated at ₹2.78 crore. The expansion is intended to support training, accommodation and other facilities as the campus scales up its programmes.
- Sports disciplines: Seven or eight disciplines are being offered (the minister said eight national-standard disciplines would be provided at the institute, while seven disciplines, including volleyball, have already been introduced).
- Staffing: A total of 32 posts have been sanctioned to ensure management and operational functioning of the sports hostel.
- Equipment and funding: Equipment worth ₹20 lakh has been supplied to the students, and a further ₹72 lakh in funds will be released shortly for additional equipment.
Thakur said the institute will play an important role in promoting sports in Jubbal and creating fresh opportunities for the youth of the area. He highlighted that the school is the largest among the state’s 11 sports institutions and will now be treated as the first dedicated School of Sports for women in Himachal Pradesh.
“This institute would play a pivotal role in promoting sports in Jubbal and providing new opportunities to the youth,” the minister said.
The minister pointed to recent sporting achievements connected to the hostel: six students from this residential facility have been selected for the Indian girls’ volleyball team for the World School Volleyball Championship 2026 to be held in China. The selection underlines the emphasis on competitive training alongside regular education.
Officials said the state government has increased incentives for elite performers, with raised prize money for gold medallists at the Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Thakur framed the Jubbal project within this broader effort to strengthen sports infrastructure and athlete support across the state.
Local implications and next steps
For Shimla district residents, the new institute offers multiple local impacts: improved access to national-standard coaching for girls, additional employment through the sanctioned posts, and the prospect of greater representation of Shimla athletes on national and international stages. The construction of the new building is intended to expand capacity and enhance facilities already present at the campus.
| Item | Amount / Count |
|---|---|
| Estimated construction cost (new building) | ₹2.78 crore |
| Equipment already provided | ₹20 lakh |
| Additional equipment funds to be released | ₹72 lakh |
| Sanctioned posts for hostel management | 32 |
State authorities have not yet released a detailed timeline for the new building’s completion. The minister’s office said funds for additional equipment would be disbursed soon, and that the institute would continue to expand its sporting disciplines and support services in a phased manner.
The government’s announcement is likely to be welcomed by parents and local communities who have sought improved facilities for girls’ sports in the region. Administrators at the school will now need to finalise coaching rosters, hostel logistics and competition schedules as they scale up to the new designation.
Shimla district’s designation of the Jubbal facility as a School of Sports marks a policy emphasis on women’s participation in organised sports at the grassroots level in Himachal Pradesh, while providing tangible resources for talent development.
