The former first woman of United States – Eleanor Roosevelt, spouse of former US President Franklin D. Roosevelt – as soon as mentioned: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

And Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, whose slogan is “Sports for Youth, Youth for the Future”, is an apt ode to the adage. The gritty chief dreamt of remodeling Odisha into the sports activities hub of India, and beneath his visionary management the state is creating a strong sports activities ecosystem, which incorporates world-class sports activities infrastructure – be it fashionable amenities, High Performance Centres or launching programmes to advertise sports activities from grassroots stage.

If one says that sponsoring Indian hockey groups or internet hosting the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018 can be the height for Naveen & Co in turning Odisha right into a sports activities hub, then 2023 noticed the state stride even additional.

The 12 months 2023 is historic for the Odisha authorities when Bhubaneswar turned the primary metropolis to host the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup second time on the trot, with Steel City Rourkela as co-host.

After the spectacular success of the 2017 Asian Athletics Championships and the 2018 Hockey WC, Odisha was complimented with the title of the ‘Sports Capital of India’. The state is investing considerably in creating an inclusive and all-accessible sports activities ecosystem that advantages its sportspersons and promotes a wholesome life-style proper from block to state stage.

Kalinga Stadium Sports Complex boasts of among the finest sports activities hubs within the nation for its world-class infrastructures and amenities. And the introduction of Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex in Rourkela added extra feathers to Odisha’s sports activities hub dream. The World Cup Village of the advanced was developed inside document 9 months, which acquired applauds from around the globe.

The intention of the stadium is to supply a much-needed enhance to hockey infrastructure within the ‘Cradle of Indian Hockey’, Sundargarh – which has produced many worldwide gamers, paving means for future stars who can get entry to state-of-the-art amenities at their doorstep.

The state’s efforts had been endorsed in 2021 when Odisha was adjudged the ‘Best State of the Decade for Promotion of Sports’ on the ‘Sportstar Aces Awards’ – a stamp of approval that’s not straightforward to rival.

A scale up of the state’s annual sports activities price range drives residence the purpose. From a modest Rs 280 million in 2010-11, the allocations have gone as much as a whooping Rs 12 billion for 2023-24. And it wouldn’t be unsuitable if one says it was hockey that set the ball rolling for Odisha.

In 2018, Naveen introduced the settlement with Hockey India to sponsor the lads’s and ladies’s groups for 5 years. However, the groups’ spectacular performances at Tokyo 2020 prompted the Naveen Patnaik-led authorities to increase endorsements till 2033.

The tribal belt of Sundargarh, a breeding floor of hockey gamers, now presents potential to churn out rugby skills, and the Sports Ministry has targeted on constructing the requisite infrastructure on the grassroots stage. A complete of 17 astro turf amenities are being constructed right here, whereas Odisha additionally determined to undertake rugby as the following main sport, with sponsorship of the women and men’s nationwide groups.

Two new HPCs – gymnastics and hockey – had been inaugurated earlier this 12 months on the Kalinga Stadium. The Gymnastics HPC is a joint initiative with Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel (AM/NS) India, whereas the Hockey HPC is being arrange in partnership with Tata Steel and Tata Trusts. Also, Odisha not too long ago signed an MoU with AM/NS India to determine Kho Kho HPC.

So far, Odisha has HPCs for taking pictures, hockey, badminton, weightlifting, athletics, sports activities science, swimming, soccer, gymnastics and a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in sports activities administration. Patnaik additionally introduced the strengthening of the partnership with Tata Group and beginning of latest HPCs in archery and sport climbing.

In November this 12 months, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and Odisha authorities, within the presence of Arsene Wenger, FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to arrange the AIFF-FIFA Talent Academy on the Odisha Football Academy in Bhubaneswar.

The goal of the academy is to determine skills, to coach youngsters to get them nearly as good as they are often and supply good stage of competitors to make nice gamers. The goal is to place India on international soccer map.

The 12 months additionally witnessed the introduction of India’s first indoor athletics stadium. Italian agency, Mondo SpA has arrange a ten,000 sq metres monitor within the stadium which goes to be the first-of-its-kind in India. The stadium can accommodate 120 athletes for full-time teaching. It additionally has a classroom for research, medical amenities and a devoted pantry for inmates.

The monitor options lengthy leap, triple leap, 100m, 200m tracks, pole vault and shot-put, every with its personal particular necessities. The facility has two 110m apply tracks, gallery for spectators, press field in addition to a broadcast area.

Major occasions hosted by Odisha in 2023

The state performed host to a number of competitions, together with Men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Inter-continental Cup soccer, Inter-State Senior Athletic Championships, National Aquatic Championships, Odisha Masters badminton, National Rugby 15s Championship (Division 1), Khelo India Women Fencing League & Ranking Tournament (Phase 3), Kalinga Super Swimming Series in addition to a number of nationwide and state-level tournaments.

The plans for promotion of kho kho acquired an enormous enhance when Odisha bagged the internet hosting rights of Ultimate Kho Kho season 2 because the competitors will get underway December 24 on the JN Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.

Odisha athletes hog limelight

The 12 months will largely be remembered for javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena – the Hangzhou Asian Games silver medallist. He had completed a reputable fifth – 1.90m wanting bronze medal winner’s throw – on the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.

Another notable athlete for the state was para shuttler Pramod Bhagat who bagged gold within the males’s singles SL3 class to go along with bronze medals within the males’s doubles SL3-SL4 and blended doubles SL3-SU5 occasions on the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

Both Kishore and Pramod additionally introduced laurels to Odisha with great performances in few different competitions.

The 12 months turned out to be a good higher one when Shriyanka Sadangi secured a gold medal for India on the 50m rifle 3 positions staff occasion and a bronze medal on the 10m air rifle staff occasion on the Asian Shooting Championship in South Korea.

The Sambalpur eve narrowly missed one other medal as she completed fourth within the 50m rifle 3 positions particular person occasion. However, it didn’t cease her from securing a 2024 Paris Olympics quota for India within the class.

Overall, it wouldn’t be unsuitable to say that Odisha just isn’t solely turning right into a sports activities hub by way of infrastructure and fashionable amenities, however the athletes are slowly, however steadily making a mark at international stage. It might take a decade or so, when Odisha might be recognized for its athletes’ prowess in international sporting arenas.