The guests unveiled the foundation plaque and a handbook which gave a broader picture of the mission and vision behind the initiative by Odisha-based Mining Company, MGM Group, with the support of the Government of Odisha and OCA.


In his welcome address MGM School of Sport & MGM Minerals Chairman, Pankaj Lochan Mohanty shared that MGM Group Odisha has set up the school with a vision to create outstanding sports personalities.

“We intend to choose players in cricket and in future for other sports and will bear their training and logistic expenses at the school. It will be in the model of National Cricket Academy. In future we also will like to add some courses for sports technical education for which we are in talk with different sports consultants, said Mohanty, who is also the vice-president of OCA.

“For the present we have developed field for the cricketing activity. From 17 February formal Inter-District Tournament of OCA will start at this ground. The academy is designed to accommodate 100 players for cricket and other sports apart from other supporting staffs.”

“Priorities will be given to players from Odisha. The land area for the project is 30 acres and the total project cost is Rs 40 crores. This project will be completed in three years time. This Sports School will be one of its kind in the entire Eastern India,” added Mohanty.

Odisha beat Chhattisgarh in a friendly T-20 cricket match, which was played on the occasion of launching of the school and academy. Begunia MLA Rajendra Prasad Sahoo and Dhenkanal MLA Sudhir Kumar Samal also attended the opening ceremony.
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PICS: MGM Group chairman Pankaj Lochan Mohanty, cricket stars Suresh Raina, Pragyan Ojha and Agriculture Minister Ranendra Prasad Swain at the launching ceremony of the MGM School of Sports & Centre of Excellence for Cricket at Kapursingh in Cuttack on 15 February 2023. Also seen are Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera and OCA secretary Sanjay Behera.