By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday launched sports infrastructure projects worth Rs 660 Crore to boost development of sports across Odisha. The projects unveiled include 48 multipurpose indoor stadiums, Cuttack Table Tennis Academy, Rourkela Gymnastics Academy & 12 hockey training centres. He also laid foundation stone for 11 other sports projects which have been taken up under 5T initiative to ensure 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 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 have risen to 23 with addition of these 12 new centres. They will impart professional coaching under aegis of expert coaches.
Chief Minister Patnaik also laid foundation stone for 4 multipurpose indoor stadiums in Remuna, Baliguda, Titlagarh and Karanjia; indoor swimming pool in Bhadrak, Football Training Centre, indoor swimming pool and basketball courts in Cuttack, Women Football Training Centre in Aul, Kendrapada and Hockey Training Centre in Deogarh apart from upgradation of Baripada stadium and Nehru Stadium in Bhadrak.
Addressing on the occasion, CM Patnaik said Odisha wants to provide best sports facilities for young sports persons so that they can realise their potential and bring laurels to the state and country. He hoped that the newly-launched facilities will provide big momentum to sports development in Odisha.
