Bhubaneswar: Today, as India celebrates National Sports Day – the birthday of Hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, we are witnessing a new wave of sporting successes be it hockey or athletics. India’s turn at the global podium has come and its sportsmen and women are creating history at international events. As the country makes mark at international sporting events, one state that definitely needs recognition for being behind this transformation is Odisha. Odisha’s transformation as the sports capital of India is helping the country’s budding talent and propelling a massive resurrection of sporting culture. Led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha has been in the forefront in promoting sports and games in the country for the last two decades. Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar has become the hub of major sporting activity of the country. The state, with its international standard sporting infrastructure is attracting big ticket tournaments and championships. Odisha’s transformed sporting ecosystem has been able to produce a large number of champions. Be it Hockey, Football or Athletics, Odisha has been encouraging young talents from every sphere and the results are in front of us.
Being nurtured under the 5T Initiatives, Odisha Sports has rapidly emerged as a favoured destination for sports owing to its exceptional infrastructure, facilities and successful organization of numerous global sporting competitions. The state is actively promoting and nurturing a wide range of sports, propelling its journey as a flourishing sports hub. The state has established itself as a global hub of hockey, having successfully organized consecutive editions of the FIH Hockey World Cup in 2018 and 2023. Furthermore, Odisha has been the venue for prominent hockey events like the FIH Hockey Junior Men’s World Cup, Pro League, FIH Olympic Qualifiers, and FIH Series Finals, solidifying its position as a global destination for hockey.
Kalinga Hockey Stadium and Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium are the top hockey stadiums in the world. Odisha has also made remarkable strides in hosting noteworthy international events in other sports. In football, the state successfully organized the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup and the SAFF U20 Championship, providing talented young footballers from around the world with a platform to showcase their skills. Odisha Open, Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships and a plethora of national events across sports have redefined Odisha as a Sports Hub in India. Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the state’s capital, serves as the home ground for Odisha FC, the reigning Super Cup Champions. Odisha Juggernauts the state’s franchise in the Ultimate Kho Kho League. It has set a precedent by launching High Performance Centers in various sports disciplines with corporates and eminent sportspersons, in a unique partnership model that has been lauded widely. It not only extended its support to Hockey India by another ten years it is also supporting National Federations in Football, Rugby, Kho Kho and Swimming. One of the hallmarks of Odisha’s sporting landscape is its exceptional sports infrastructure. The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela, the world’s largest seated hockey stadium, has earned a prestigious place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The facility, which also houses an Olympic-style Hockey Village with 225 rooms, was built in just 15 months. This stadium stands as a symbol of Odisha’s unwavering dedication to the sport of hockey, offering state-of-the-art facilities and an impressive grandeur.
In addition, Odisha houses other sporting venues such as the Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium in Rourkela, the Kalinga Stadium Tennis Center, Dharanidhar Sports Complex in Keonjhar amongst others, providing athletes with top-tier facilities to train and excel in their respective disciplines. Recognizing the significance of grassroots development, the Odisha government has taken proactive measures to nurture young talent and establish a strong foundation for sports in the region. As part of this initiative, 17 astro-turf hockey fields have been set up across the Sundargarh district, known as the cradle of hockey in Odisha. This strategic move aims to identify and nurture promising talent, ensuring the sustained growth and success of the sport. Moreover, the state is establishing 90 multipurpose indoor stadiums in urban areas. Six FIFA standard pitches have also been developed. Over the last four years the sports budget has raised to Rs 1217 Cr reflecting the commitment of Odisha and its Chief Minister towards sports development and promotion.
Recently, the Biju Patnaik Swimming Complex of the Kalinga Stadium hosted the 39th Sub Junior And 49th Junior National Aquatic Championships 2023 and the 63rd Odisha State Swimming Championship. It has also conveyed its interest to the Athletics Federation of India (AFI) to host the maiden Nationals for inaugural indoor athletics championships. It is also likely to host the Asian Swimming Championship 2024.
Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian, who himself is a big sports enthusiast, and is christened as the ‘man with a mission’ in the transformation and development of Odisha, has been working relentlessly to translate the Chief Minister’s vision of building Odisha as the sports capital in the country into a reality.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s vision to build Odisha as sports capital of the country and his team restlessly working to achieve this vision is paying rich dividends to the State in terms of attracting the attention of the investors towards Odisha. From investment perspectives, the State Government’s efforts to promote sports have proven to be instrumental in boosting a diverse of sectors.
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