In a major boost for cricket development in Odisha, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, announced the redevelopment of the historic Barabati Cricket Stadium and laid the foundation stone for the redevelopment of the VSS Cricket Stadium in Sambalpur.
He said that the Barabati stadium will be redeveloped into a world-class sports complex with all the modern facilities, in partnership with BCCI, OCA and corporations. At the same time, considering the legacy of the stadium, the iconic clock tower will be conserved as a heritage structure. The VSS stadium in Sambalpur will be expanded and developed with the best cricket facilities for the cricketers in the region.
He also inaugurated cricket facilities at Berhampur Sports Complex, Shree Jagannath Cricket Stadium & Women’s Cricket Academy, Puri Sports Complex, Jajpur, Cricket Ground, Jharsuguda, and 41 cricket academies developed across the state by the Odisha Cricket Association. He announced that the stadium in Berhampur will be named Mahatma Gandhi Cricket Stadium, in memory of Gandhiji’s visit to this place during the Freedom Movement.
He also announced that an integrated sports complex will be created at Sitalapalli, Berhampur, which will include facilities for athletics, football. cricket, indoor stadiums, etc. to cater to the needs of sportspeople in the region.
The Chief Minister inaugurated the Ganjam Weightlifting Academy along with the 200-seat hostel, making it the largest weightlifting training facility in the country. He said it’s a tribute to the popularity of weightlifting in Ganjam, which produced so many weightlifters.
Several sports infrastructures in Jajpur, namely the Kusuma Complex Swimming Pool, the Hockey Training Centre, a multipurpose indoor stadium, an athletic track, a football ground, etc., were inaugurated. While the foundation stone was laid for the rugby field and cricket grounds, along with the hostel.
Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for Integrated Sports Complexes at Bargarh and Dhenkanal, which includes various facilities like athletic tracks, swimming pools, football grounds, cricket grounds, etc.-TIN Bureau