Bhubaneswar: Taking further steps towards making Odisha—the Sports Capital of India, the Odisha Government has taken up sports infrastructure projects over Rs 1000 crore in various places of the State.
On the occasion of completion of the second year of his Government’s fifth term on May 29, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had said, “We continue to focus on sports development in the State. More than Rs 1000 crores worth sports development projects have been taken up, including India’s largest Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.”
Vishal Dev, Principal Secretary Tourism, Sports and Youth Services held a detailed review of the ongoing sports Infrastructure projects with the senior officials of the department.
While Mr.Dev has stipulated timeline for the projects, detailed review reveals that the State Government has planned to invest Rs356.38 crore for development of Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium and Practice Pitch in Rourkela and expansion of Kalinga Stadium in a big way.
The Chief Minister on February 16 laid the foundation stone of India’s largest hockey stadium in the Steel City that would host the next edition of Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023.
The proposed international hockey stadium in the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district, will have a seating capacity of more than 20,000 people.
The stadium will come up on 15-20 acres of land, for which work is expected to be completed within a year. It will host the FIH Odisha Men”s Hockey World Cup 2023 along with Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Similarly, to popularise hockey in Sundergarh, the Government has decided to set up 17 Hockey Training Centres in the district with a total cost of Rs 150 crore from DMF. These training centres will have synthetic hockey field (sand dressed) and administrative/changing room building.
The State has also decided to develop sports infrastructure including indoor stadiums in different urban local bodies across the State with an investment of Rs462.40 crore.
Higher level indoor stadiums will be constructed in all municipal corporations and municipalities while little lower model stadiums will be set up in NACs. Cricket and football fields will be built in each municipality and municipal Corporation towns.
A swimming pool complex will be developed in Balsore town for which Rs 5 crore will be spent, the official said.
Similarly, Rs 15 crore will be utilised for development and upgradation of sports infrastructures in Sambalpur district, while integrated sports complexes will be constructed in five places with a total cost of Rs 154 crore.
The integrated sports complexes will come up at Berhampur (Rs 37crore), Puri(Rs 26 crore), Jeypore(Rs 27crore), Jajpur (Rs 35crore) and Keonjhar(Rs 30crore). The complexes will have facilities like swimming pool, open play courts, football/cricket fields.
The State now has a reputation for delivering successfully big tournaments like Asian Athletics Championship, the Men’s Hockey World League Finals 2017, Indian Super League 2017-2018, Hero Super Cup 2018/2019, National Open Athletics Championships 2018, Asia Rugby Girls U-18 Rugby 7s Championships 2018, Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018, Indian Super league, AIFF 4-nations Women’s Hero Gold Cup 2019, and the recent FIH Series Finals and Pro League.
Following the hoisting of these mega sporting events, Odisha is now being termed the Sports Capital of India.