BHUBANESWAR: With Odisha turning into a global sports hub, the state government is extending all possible support to make Bhubaneswar the sports capital of India.
Towards this aim, an allocation of Rs 266.31 crore was made for the Sports and Youth Services Department in the 2019-20 Budget.
The Department has created a different image by hosting back-to-back international events here. In the coming days, the state is set to host international sporting events like Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships at Cuttack in July and State is also likely to be the one among the four venues for FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.
Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera said “apart from hosting international and national events, the Department will give more emphasis on development of rural sports and talent squatting.
While Sundargarh district is the cradle of hockey, Ganjam and Puri districts are known for weightlifting and wrestling respectively.
With rural pockets having hidden talents which can be explored in the near future, government plans to set up four sports centres in four cities to support the new talents, said Behera.
Sundargarh has produced many national and international standard hockey players.
It is not easy to accommodate everyone in the sports hostel at Bhubaneswar, because of which the government has decided to lay astro turfs in 17 blocks of Sundargarh district, Behera added.
The government is not only focusing on infrastructure facilities in the twin city but even the existing stadiums in 30 districts will be renovated along with sports hostel facilities.
In modern sports, coaches and scientific training play a vital role, to strengthen the coaches a training camp will the held in November for overall development, said Behera while felicitating Odia dragflicker Amit Rohidas and Dronacharya Awardee boxing coach Braja Bhusan Mohanty on the OSJA Sports Award here on Saturday.