Odisha will soon be a sports powerhouse, says Naveen Patnaik as 39 sportspersons join Odisha police

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

 

As many as 39 meritorious sportspersons of Odisha joined the State Police Service on June 26, thirty of them women and nine men. In the past, ninety-six sportspersons were appointed in various ranks of Odisha police in six phases in the past.

Joining a virtual induction programme for these new entrants to the State police, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said the State will continue to support sportspersons in order to enable them to achieve their dreams. Odisha will produce many sportspersons and make the State and country proud in the coming years, he said.

Congratulating the sportspersons for joining the police service, Patnaik said: “It’s a big moment for you to join a job and share the responsibilities of your families. I am sure your parents and families are proud of your achievement. It requires lot of passion, discipline and hard work to excel in sports.”

Patnaik said sports was the best way to teach good virtues and channelise the energies of youth in a positive manner. “Investment in sports is investment in youth. Investment in youth is investment in the future of this State,” he observed.

The Chief Minister said the State government had embarked on a journey to make Odisha a sports powerhouse. In the last few years, Odisha has featured prominently in the sports sector in the country. “We have successfully hosted a number of national and international events. The Hockey World Cup 2018 and the Asian Athletics championship 2017 have been a great success for the State.”

Saying that the State will be investing more than Rs.1,000 crore in developing sports infrastructure, Patnaik pointed out that Odisha was building India’s largest hockey stadium in Rourkela for the Hockey World Cup in 2023.

On the State’s strategy in sports, Patnaik said that his government had partnered with corporates and eminent sportspersons to start high-performance centres. Coaching at the grassroots level and sports education in schools was a major focus area to develop sports across the State.

The State’s para-athletes have also been performing well at international level, he said. Arjuna awardee Pramod Bhagat has qualified for the paralympics and is a leading contestant for the medal. “We would like to continue to financially support our para-athletes and also provide job-related support for them to excel in the sports field,” he added.