How a land spotted in 1978 by Amit Shah led to development of Veer Savarkar Sports Complex

In attendance during the inauguration were national athletes, officials from the Sports Authority of India, and the Sports Authority of Gujarat.

Also known as the Naranpura Sports Complex, the state-of-the-art facility has a Platinum rating from India's Green Building Council. 

Harsh Sanghvi, Minister of Sports, Youth Affairs, & Cultural Activities of Gujarat delivered the first address. He emphasized on the forthcoming Asian Aquatics Championships, which will be held within the Aquatic Stadium of the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex.

The event is scheduled to begin in the last week of September and will feature 1200 athletes. The pool in the sports complex has been developed by Myrtha Pools.

The minister further lauded the 16 review meetings chaired by Home Minister Amit Shah, which were held over 30 months to ensure the facility met International standards.

India's vision to become a sporting centre before the country's centenary Independence year (2047) was reinforced by Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, Mansukh Mandaviya.

Gujarat's Chief Minister, Bhupendra Patel, in his keynote address, was all praise for India's recent implementation of the National Sports Governance Bill and the National Anti-Doping Bill.

Referring to Gujarat's sporting heritage, he said that the World Heritage Site of Dholavira was historically known for having two world-class sporting stadiums. He further added that the state's current budget of Rs 486 crores is one of the reasons why Gujarat has become a focal point for budding athletes.

Gujarat currently has 23 sports complexes across 21 districts. The Chief Minister then reminded the spectators of the upcoming Sardar Vallabhbhai Sports Enclave and a High Performance Centre for para-athletes, which are still under construction and show immense promise.

He ended his speech by urging the citizens to buy sporting equipment and accessories that are made indigenously.

How the idea of Veer Savarkar Sports Complex was sown

Home Minister Amit Shah narrated the tale of how the idea was conceived for establishing an international standard sports complex.

Back in 1978, when Shah became a resident of the Naranpura ward, he had seen a 21-acre land, 400 metres away from his home.

Many real estate programs had been planned, but none were implemented. Fast forward to 2019, Shah requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to develop a sports complex on this piece of land.

Initially, the Prime Minister asked Shah to hold on to the idea. A couple of years later, Shah received the green light on one condition: to build a sports complex that would be on par with international facilities.

Notably, Shah mentioned in his speech that the sports budget has trampolined from 1643 crores in 2014 to 5300 crores as it stands today.

He dedicated India's rise in medal tally in multisport International events to the Fit India and Khelo India movement.

Speaking about Ahmedabad, he announced that the city is set to host 13 international sporting events before the 2036 Summer Olympics.

Even before the inauguration, the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex already hosted the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships that saw 350 athletes from 29 nations. It also hosted the Junior National Aquatic Championships.

Future events that Gujarat is all set to host with Ahmedabad as the key site include the 2025 Asian Aquatics Championship, AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2026 Qualifiers, 2026 Asian Weightlifting, 2026 Archery Asia Para Cup, 2029 World Police and Fire Games, and the 2030 Commonwealth Games.