New Delhi: If we look through the history of India, Odisha has never been on the list of emerging or developing states in the nation. The state had only one stadium (Barabati) in terms of sports infrastructure. But in the past decade, Odisha has gone through some phenomenal development in sports and is now considered the sports capital of India.
Currently hosting its second consecutive FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, it was Odisha that first came out in front and proposed 150 crores to sponsor the National Hockey Team of India, at a time when no one was willing to spend even a penny for the team of a sport that is the national sport of our nation.
Odisha’s government has demonstrated a strong commitment and dedication to developing a diverse sports infrastructure in the state, from the grassroots to the highest levels.
Odisha’s sports model can be described as a unique collaboration of various sports federations and athletes who are committed to a common goal of developing sports. And it was not just kept in the minds of the government; various steps have been taken to turn the goal into reality. The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium can be considered the biggest example of the same. Rourkela is home to the world’s largest seated hockey stadium, which cost $31 million (260 crore).
Apart from that, Kalinga International Sports College is another big achievement and a milestone in the vision of Odisha.
The government is still focused on instilling these things, not just stopping the commitment. The brilliant sports model of Odisha has established itself as an example not only for India but for other countries around the world as well, and it has paved the way for a strong message that the secret to developing good players lies in providing the proper facilities and proper training to a player at every level.
