CM Naveen Patnaik launched sports infrastructure projects worth ₹660 Cr to boost development of sports across Odisha

Bhubaneswar:23/2/24:CM Naveen Patnaik launched sports infrastructure projects worth ₹660 Cr to boost development of sports across Odisha. The projects unveiled include 48 multipurpose indoor stadiums, Cuttack Table Tennis Academy, Rourkela Gymnastics Academy and 12 hockey training centres. He also laid the foundation stone for 11 other sports projects which have been taken up under the 5T initiative to ensure the transformation of the sports sector, from grassroots to elite.

To propel sports development at the grassroots and encourage a healthy lifestyle, 48 multipurpose indoor stadiums have been developed across the state. These stadiums have courts, rooms and facilities for sports like badminton, table tennis, yoga, chess and weightlifting, gym etc. On top of that, an upgraded multipurpose indoor hall has also been inaugurated in Bhawanipatna.

The Cuttack Table Tennis Academy features 16 premium-quality TT tables, accompanied by a fully-equipped gymnasium and dedicated weightlifting room. The facility also encompasses a designated area for chess enthusiasts, as well as spaces specifically made for yoga and zumba, offering a comprehensive approach to wellness and fitness. In addition to Odisha Table Tennis Academy, it will play a significant role in promoting TT in the state.

Rourkela Gymnastics Academy, a new addition to gymnastics ecosystem, features world-class equipment & houses facilities for weightlifting, TT, yoga and gym. To bolster hockey and give young kids an early start to competitive environment, hockey training centres with synthetic turfs have been developed across state The total number of HTCs in Odisha has risen to 23 with addition of these 12 new centres. They will impart professional coaching under the aegis of expert coaches. CM also laid foundation stone for 4 multipurpose indoor stadiums in Remuna, Baliguda, Titlagarh and Karanjia; an indoor swimming pool in Bhadrak, Football Training Centre, indoor swimming pool and basketball courts in Cuttack, Women’s Football Training Centre in Aul, Kendrapada and Hockey Training Centre in Deogarh apart from upgradation of Baripada stadium and Nehru Stadium in Bhadrak.

Addressing the occasion, CM said Odisha wants to provide the best sports facilities for young sportspersons so that they can realise their potential and bring laurels to the state and country. He hoped that the newly-launched facilities would provide big momentum to sports development in Odisha.