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Renowned sports magazine Sportstar has honoured Odisha with the Sortstar Aces Award ‘Giants of the Decade’. Odisha bagged the award as Best State for Promotion of Sports for the Decade 2011 to 2020. Hockey Olympian M M Somaya handed over the award to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a special function organised at Loka Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar today.
But according a report published in Sportstar magazine, Odisha State government won the Best State for the Promotion of Sport honour in the 2021 edition of the Sportstar Aces Awards. This was the third win in a row for Odisha Government in the Sportstar annual awards, having won the award in 2019 and 2020 as well.
The Sportstar Aces Awards 2021 celebrated the consistency of performance and the impact of sports stars in the decade between 2011 and 2020, honouring 31 winners across Indian sports in this year’s ‘Giants of the Decade’ special.
The esteemed jury comprised of cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar, Olympic gold medallist and former India hockey captain M M Somaya, nine-time national badminton champion Aparna Popat, five time world chess champion Viswanathan Anand, Olympian shooter Anjali Bhagwat and former India football captain Bhaichung Bhutia.
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The state has been at the forefront of hosting major sports events, developing world-class infrastructure, supporting all forms of sports, creating a bouquet of High Performance Centres and strengthening its grassroots programs which have collectively contributed to the sustainable and holistic development of the sports ecosystem and has been noted as a ‘Giant of the Decade’.
“I dedicate this award to the 4.5 crore people of Odisha, especially the youth,” the Chief Minister said after receiving the award. ‘Sports for youth and youth for future’, the Chief Minister said with great confidence on the youth of Odisha and called upon them, “let us shine in every field and move towards a new Odisha, empowered Odisha.’
Besides describing the efforts made by the State Government for promotion of sports, the Chief Minister announced that his government is also building first indoor athletics track of the country. ‘We will be probably the only State to plan for the indoor sports halls and fields across all the urban local bodies. The project is to be launched shortly and will be completed by next year,” he announced.
He said that Odisha has started the unique partnership model with the corporates and eminent sports persons to start High Performance Centres in various sports disciplines. Kalinga Stadium sports complex is emerging as a major destination for sports in India.
He further said that we have also launched large scale grassroots programs. “In Sundargarh district, which has produced many international hockey players, we are going to construct synthetic hockey turfs in every block of the district,” he informed.
Speaking on the occasion, veteran hockey Star Somaya said that the jury considered the award for Odisha on three key areas. They are the ability to harness talent of the sports persons with super infra facilities, the High Performance Centres with partnership of industry and sports persons, and ability to organise international events.
Video messages sent by jury members Sunil Gavaskar, Baichung Bhutia, Viswanathan Anand and Aparna Popat were shown in the function. They all congratulated for the award and appreciated the efforts Odisha has made in championing the cause of sports. A video on the sporting efforts and events in Odisha was also screened.
Hindu Group CEO, Navneeth LV, Sportstar Editor, Ayon Sengupta, Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Hockey Olympian Dillip Tirkey, Sports Principal Secretary Visha Dev, Secretary to CM 5T V K Pandian and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
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TOP: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik receives the Sportstar Aces Award from hockey Olympian MM Somaya in Bhubaneswar on 28 March, 2021.
RIGHT: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik poses with the Sportstar Aces Award in the category of `Best State of the decade for the promotion of sports’ in Bhubaneswar on 28 March, 2021.
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