AIGLE, Switzerland (BRAIN) — The international cycling union, UCI, is opening a satellite World Cycling Centre in India at the New Delhi velodrome.
The India facility will be UCI's fourth satellite center along with centers in Japan, South Korea and South Africa. The UCI operates its primary center in Switzerland.
The new India center is part of the Indira Ghandi Sports Complex, which is a legacy of the 2010 Commonwealth Games and host of the 2015 Asia Track Cup. The center houses the Track National Team of India, with the goal of establishing a world class team in time for the 2019 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
"More than just an athlete training center, the satellite will create and develop a high performance structure that will operate at all levels, from talent detection, to the coaching of Juniors through to Elite level. It will also focus on coach education, mechanics training and the development of administrative, technical and medical staff," the UCI said.
The satellite center will also start talent identification for neighboring countries as well as India.
Brian Cookson, the president of the UCI, said: "By launching satellite centers such as the one in Delhi we are providing a huge boost for the growth and development of cycling worldwide, which was one of my major pledges when I was running for the UCI presidency. The range of benefits that this facility will bring to India and South Asia, ranging from talent identification to elite level coaching, will have a significant impact on cycling in the region."
