Bhubaneswar: Australia’s High Commissioner to India Barry O’Farrell AO was impressed with the facilities and infrastructure at the Kalinga Stadium, which has hosted several major international hockey tournaments, including the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 and will again be hosting the event in 2023.
“Odisha Government has developed remarkable facilities and is investing not only in infrastructure but also in each one of the cadet to develop them into elite players,” O’Farrell said after interacting with cadets of Hockey High Performance Centre.
Wishing them best of luck, he said he would look forward to seeing all of them on the world stage one day.
Accompanied by Rowan Ainsworth, Australian Consul-General in Kolkata, and Amy Keough, First Secretary, Australian High Commission, O’Farrell visited the Kalinga Stadium where he was greeted by Dilip Tirkey, former India captain and Chairman, Odisha Hockey Promotion Council, Vineel Krishna, Secretary Sports, Odisha government, Rajiv Seth, Project Director, Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre, and senior officials of Odisha Sports department.
O’Farrell visited the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre, that trains over 100 boy and girl cadets for the elite level. He interacted with the cadets and coaches, and taken around for a tour by Seth. The High Commissioner also visited the sports science and rehabilitation centre – the Odisha Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre — where Centre Head Pradeep Pillay demonstrated the bio mechanics and assessment techniques used to assist athletes to improve their performance.
The Sports Secretary made a presentation on the rise of sports in Odisha and various initiatives undertaken by the.
