Foundation being laid for future champs: Khadse

Bhubaneswar: Minister of State for Sports Raksha Nikhil Khadse on Monday lauded the Odisha government for setting up world-class infrastructure at Kalinga Stadium here, saying such facilities will lay the foundation for producing future champions of the country. She said such facilities are crucial for making India a “sporting powerhouse”.

“With facilities like the ones at Kalinga Stadium, we are laying the foundation for future champions who will bring glory to the nation. These centres are crucial to the government’s vision of making India a sporting powerhouse,” Khadse said during her two-day visit to the Odisha capital.

Khadse visited Kalinga Stadium complex where she oversaw the functioning of three High Performance Centres (HPCs) dedicated to athletes’ development in the State.

She visited Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre (ABTPC), which is focused on developing world-class shooters by providing them with cutting-edge technology and training, Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre, a state-of-the-art facility dedicated to the training of top-tier hockey athletes, and Dalmia Bharat Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy.

The minister remarked that the Central government is committed to improving sports infrastructure and offering world-class training to athletes.