BHUBANESWAR: Days after launching the first-ever high performance centre of Odisha in partnership with the Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance (ABTP), the state government has followed it up with the inauguration of five additional centres in what will be private-public partnerships predominantly, IANS reports.
Back in November 2018, the government had signed MoUs with India’s seven leading industrialists for high performance centres to provide world-class training to promising sports talents.
Out of these, the five centres finally launched are owned by the following industries, which have their own foundations for youth sports:
a) Athletics by Reliance Industries Ltd (in association with the Athletics Federation of India and International Association of Athletics Federation)
b) Badminton by Dalmia Bharat Group (in association with the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation)
c) Weightlifting by the Ahluwalia Group (alongwith Anil Kumble’s TENVIC Sports)
d) Ahluwalia Group-backed Xavier-Emylon Business School
e) Football by the All India Football Federation in partnership with Odisha Sports Development.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik also inaugurated wall climbing sports and felicitated 162 sportspersons from the state with cash prizes.
“Today is a historic day for sports development in Odisha. We understand how beneficial the opening of these high-performance centres is to a sportsman as well as the nation.
“I am delighted to dedicate these centres to the sports loving people of Odisha. I thank every one of you associated with this initiative and for joining us in the journey of making Odisha- the sports destination of India,” Patnaik told IANS.
