Bhubaneswar To Have World-Class Sports Valley; Minister Visits Site Ahead Of ‘Bhoomi Puja’

Bhubaneswar: In a bid to strengthen sports infrastructure in the state, the Odisha government is gearing up to set up a mega sports valley in Gothapatna area on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar.

Sources said Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Suryabanshi Suraj on Sunday visited the site where the ultra-modern sports valley is proposed to be constructed on 150 acres of land.

Accompanied by Bhubaneswar Deputy Collector and senior officials of the Sports department, Suraj went around the proposed site and reviewed the steps being taken for establishment of the world-class complex, which is likely to be much larger than the Kalinga Stadium.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to perform the ‘bhoomi pujan’ for the sports complex during his visit to Odisha on his birthday on September 17. As per information, the ambitious project is proposed to be built with an estimated budget of over Rs 1,000 crore.

Facilities like an indoor velodrome for cycling, an amphitheatre, a fitness track of five km, an archery stadium and high-performance centres for different sports disciplines will be built within the sports/fitness valley. The complex is likely to be larger and more attractive than the Kalinga Stadium.

According to the Sports Minister, allocation has been made for the mega sports complex in the budget. The sportspersons coming out from the sports hostels with excellence need further exposure which will be made available at the sports valley, Suraj said.

It may be noted that, the state government has allocated Rs 1,315 crore in the state budget for sports infrastructure. This apart, Rs 952 crore has been earmarked for the management of sports and development of sports infrastructure.