Bhubaneswar: Shri Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, President of the Odisha Cricket Association, has commended the State Government led by Chief Minister Shri Mohan Charan Majhi for its increasing financial dedication to sports and youth services.
Over the last three years, Odisha’s budget for the Sports and Youth Services sector has shown a steady rise, growing from 1,315 crore in the 2024-25 fiscal year to 1,319 crore in 2025-26, and reaching approximately 1,450 crore in the 2026-27 budget.
This funding shift highlights a strategic move from hosting major international tournaments to establishing a comprehensive sports ecosystem that benefits both elite athletes and those at the village level, said an ace promoter of Sports in Odisha.
OCA Chief Shri Mohanty said that a central part of this growth is the block-level stadium project, which features an investment of 4,124 crore over five years. This initiative involves building multi-purpose sports complexes across all 314 blocks of the state. Each facility is designed to occupy 8 to 15 acres of land and will include cricket and football fields, clay athletic tracks, and courts for volleyball, kabaddi, and kho-kho. Additionally, indoor halls will be equipped for badminton, table tennis, gymnastics, and weightlifting.
To further decentralize training, the State has allocated 600 crore to develop regional sports hubs in six districts. These hubs serve as a vital link between local talent and the specialized high-performance centers in Bhubaneswar, such as the Kalinga Indoor Athletics Stadium and the National Sports Science Center. The science center provides athletes with advanced technology, including biomechanics labs, altitude simulation chambers, and cryotherapy units.
Early talent identification is managed through the Khela Ratna Khoja Abhiyaan, a scouting program that transitions young panchayat-level athletes into state-run sports hostels. Complementing this is the Yuva Shakti Yojana, a 100 crore scheme focused on youth leadership and holistic development. Other programs, including the Fit Odisha Mission and the Chief Minister’s Trophy, engage over one lakh participants annually to promote a culture of fitness.
Additionally, a 65 crore fund is dedicated to supporting professional athletes through rewards and pensions, ensuring financial security during and after their sporting careers.