Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated three sporting facilities, located at different places in the state today. The three facilities include the Aditya Birla-Gagan Narang Shooting High Performance Centre (ABGNSHPC) at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, an indoor stadium at Hinjilicut and a multi-purpose indoor hall at Chhatrapur in Ganjam district.
The High-Performance Centre at Kalinga Stadium has a 22-lane 10-meter range and a renovated 50-meter range. The 10-meter range has 10 electronic lane and 12 electrical manual targets. The range can train more than 60 athletes every day. The range is equipped to handle Indian athletes from beginner to elite level.
One-of-its-kind facilities in eastern India, it can attract a lot of shooters from nearby states to continue their training under high-performance coaches. The Shooting HPC will be imparting training to the selected children under the Odisha Talent Adoption Program scheme at this facility from November onwards.
The Hinjilicut Multisport Indoor Stadium is spread over 1.5 acres of land with a seating capacity of 300. It has courts for badminton, volleyball and basketball, besides facilities for yoga, gym and physiotherapy. It has been built at a cost of approximately Rs 11 crore. The Chhatrapur Indoor Hall is equippted with three wooden-floored badminton courts and table tennis room, among other facilities.
Inaugurating the facilities on virtual platform, the Chief Minister said the State would be launching many more grassroots programmes across all the districts. He also announced that a hockey training facility with synthetic-turf would be constructed in Chhatrapur.
The Chief Minister further said that as part of the 5T initiative, the state has a focus on complete transformation of sports sector in the State. ‘‘We will continue to support sports persons in their endeavor to achieve excellence,’’ he added.
in the presence of Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumarmangalam Birla, Olympic shooting medalist Gagan Narang, Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, National Rifle Association of India Senior Vice-President Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, State Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, Development Commissioner Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, 5-T Secretary VK Pandian, Sports & YS Secretary Vishal Dev, Sports Director Vineel Krishna were present in the launching event.
A video on sports infrastructure in Odisha was screened on the occasion. Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera handed over the out-of-turn promotion order to Dutee Chand for receiving Arjun Award. She was promoted from the post of Deputy Manager (Security) in E-2 grade to Manager (Security) in E-3 grade.
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PHOTO: Olympic shooting medalist Gagan Narang with Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera at the Shooting High Performance Centre, at Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, inaugurated on 2 November, 2020.