Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) today conducted the first phase of the foundation stone laying ceremony of District Infrastructure Development Program and Cricket Academies in accordance with its project Vision@2024. The programme and academises were inaugurated in 15 districts in the 1st phase.

The 15 districts are: Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Sonepur, Nuapada, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khordha and Gajapati. The ceremony was centrally conducted at OCA Conference Hall in Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on a virtual platform and was live streamed across social media platforms.

Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Sports & Youth Services Department Principal Secretary Vishal Kumar Dev, OCA President Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Secretary Sanjay Behera, his father and Football Association of Odisha Secretary Asirbad Behera were present on the occasion.

According to a press release from OCA, the Vision@2024 project of OCA aims at building a robust ecosystem of cricket in the State. Under the project turf pitches will be laid across the State in order to provide equal and uniform opportunities to aspiring cricketers of the State enhance their performance. OCA has plan to develop district level grounds with two turf pitches and one cement/synthetic pitch for practice.

“Since turf pitch is a prerequisite in modern day cricket and due to scarcity of turf pitches in Odisha hampering the progress of Odisha cricketers at State and National level, OCA is taking this initiative to help develop turf pitches across the Stat,” OCA mentioned in the release.

In addition to this, OCA is also planning to supply cricketing, training, pitch and ground equipments. This is done with a sense that it will serve as cricket academies, where the best cricketing talents in the respective districts can be accommodated and nurtured into future cricketing sensations.

Besides, OCA is going to appoint a qualified coach for the respective District Cricket Academies, who will spearhead the development and progress of the cricketers and help them develop their knowledge and expertise.

It is interesting to mention that perhaps for the first time that Government of Odisha associated itself in a domestic project of OCA. The presence of Sports Minister and Principal Secretary gave enough indication that the State Government, which hitherto was indifferent to cricket, may like to provide support to OCA.
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PHOTO: Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Sports Department Principal Secretary Vishal Dev, OCA President Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, Secretary Sanjay Behera and Football Association of Odisha Secretary Asirbad Behera at the foundation stone laying ceremony of District Cricket Academies in Cuttack on 19 July, 2021.