Odisha govt approves 89 'multipurpose indoor stadiums' to boost sports infrastructure

Under the Odisha government’s "State Sports Infrastructure Development Project", CM Naveen Pattnaik led state government has announced the development of 89 multi-purpose indoor stadiums with utility for sports, disaster shelters and field hospitals on Monday. 

Odisha to invest Rs 693 crores to boost Sports Infrastructure

As per a notification issued by the state’s Information and PR department, the government has approved an investment of around Rs 693.35 crores for the project. The state aims to fully develop 89 fully equipped stadiums in the next one and a half years. 

The government said that these indoor stadiums will have facilities for playing indoor games and will be designed to withstand 200 kmph wind speed. Thus, they can act as shelter homes for people during natural calamities like Cyclones, which are prevalent in the state. These can also be utilised as community shelters during floods. The government has planned the infrastructure in a way that the stadium can be converted into a 50-bed (NAC model) or 100-bed (municipality model) field hospital. 

 "State Sports Infrastructure Development Project is proposed for ensuring the provision of quality sports infrastructure across ULBs of the State,” the government notification said.

These stadiums can help the community in several ways and are being developed to cater to multiple needs. In future, these can be utilised for training, meetings, examination centres, etc. Odisha government has been putting several efforts to turn the state into a sports hub. In recent years, Odisha has been recognised as a leading destination for sports events and the promotion of sports. This project has also been taken up to ensure the transformation of Sports in the state.

Odisha's role in Indian hockey

Odisha government has played a significant role in promoting Hockey in India. Boosting India's hockey teams, in 2018 the Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government replaced Sahara as the official sponsor of the Indian national hockey teams (men/women, junior/senior) for a tenure of five years. In a first, a state government sponsored the national team and has pledged Rs 150 crore for the same. Moreover, Odisha hosted the Hockey World Cup in 2018, the Champions Trophy in 2014 and Hockey World League final in 2017. Odisha is also slated to host the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup at Bhubaneshwar and Rourkela.

Image: @IPR_Odisha/Twitter