'National Olympic Academy: Reactivated'! IOA Announces Formal Resumption Of Ahmedabad Facility

The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) announced on Monday the “formal reactivation” of the National Olympic Academy (NOA) in Ahmedabad, a significant move to strengthen the Olympic movement in India.

The facility will be managed by the IOA President and sprint legend PT Usha. The IOA also revealed plans to launch a National Olympic Education and Development Programme (NOEDP).

“The IOA General House unanimously approved President P T Usha as the President of the National Olympic Academy, and Shri Gagan Narang, Vice President of the IOA and Olympic medallist, as the Director of the National Olympic Academy,” the organisation stated in a press release.

Previously, India had the Bharat Centre of Olympic Research and Education (BCROE) at the Rashtriya

Raksha University in Gandhinagar. Although the NOA has existed since 2018, its operations were halted due to several factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This National Olympic Academy has been there since 2018 but remained inactive due to reasons which include the pandemic. That’s why we are saying it’s a reactivation,” IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer said.

These decisions were made during the IOA Executive Council meeting on January 8 and were unanimously endorsed by the IOA General House at its Annual General Meeting on January 9, both held in Ahmedabad.

The IOA stated that these initiatives reflect a renewed focus on athlete-centric development, Olympic education, and institutional capacity building, aligned with global best practices. The NOEDP will serve as a comprehensive national framework to deliver structured education and development programmes across the Olympic ecosystem.

The programme will be executed in collaboration with National Sports Federations (NSFs) and State Olympic Associations (SOAs) to ensure extensive outreach and impact from grassroots to elite levels. Key focus areas of NOEDP include Olympic values education and ethics, holistic athlete development, welfare, and career transition support, capacity building of coaches, officials, administrators, and support personnel, and strengthening governance.

Professionalism within sports bodies and long-term athlete development models aligned with international standards will also be part of the module. As a cornerstone of this initiative, the NOA has been reactivated to serve as the central institution for Olympic education, learning, research, and dialogue in India.

Beyond its academic and institutional role, the NOA will directly support athletes in their educational needs, personal development, leadership skills, and understanding of the Olympic movement alongside their sporting careers.

Under Usha and Narang, the NOA will closely collaborate with the International Olympic Academy in Olympia to align India’s Olympic education programmes with the Olympic Charter and international best practices. This collaboration will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint programmes, research initiatives, and participation in global Olympic education forums.

The reactivation of the NOA marks an important milestone in creating a values-driven, athlete-focused, and future-ready Olympic ecosystem in India—integrating education, excellence, and ethical governance at every level.

(With Inputs From Agencies)