Jalpaiguri, Aug. 17: North Bengal development minister Gautam Deb has said a boxing academy will be set up at the Sports Village that is coming up here.

“The boxing academy will be the first of its kind in north Bengal. Following M.C. Mary Kom’s success in boxing in international tournaments, including Olympics, we have noted that some boys and girls are keen to learn boxing. The state has decided to set up the boxing academy at the Sports Village, which we are developing here in Jalpaiguri. There would be facilities for residential and indoor training for young boxers of the region and the state,” Deb said during a visit to Jalpaiguri yesterday.

The Sports Village is being constructed at the sports complex, a half-finished structure, work on which started during the Left Front rule. The Mamata Banerjee government decided to revamp the infrastructure, raise more facilities and re-christened the complex Sports Village.

“There are many local youths who want to learn boxing. But there is no proper facility for them. The proposed academy will bridge the gap and we would love to see boxers emerge from north Bengal and participate in national and international events,” said the minister.

The Sports Village, located at Rajbaripara in Jalpaiguri, will have a 400m track for athletic games and a football field. There will also be facilities for indoor games like basketball, table tennis and volleyball.