Kalinga Stadium Sets Gold Standard for Athletic Excellence

Minister Raksha Khadse praises Kalinga Stadium's High-Performance Centres, lauding them as role models in Indian sports. On her visit, she assessed facilities including premier centres for shooting, hockey, and badminton. Commending infrastructure and training, she underscored their role in India's quest to become a sporting powerhouse.

Raksha Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, recently highlighted the High-Performance Centres (HPCs) at Kalinga Stadium as exemplary models for India's athletic development. During a two-day visit to Bhubaneshwar, Khadse reviewed the operations of these centres, aimed at nurturing athlete talent, according to a Sports Ministry press statement.

During her visit, Khadse toured three notable HPCs within the Kalinga Stadium Complex. The first, the Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre (ABTPC), focuses on elevating shooting talents with advanced technology and training. The Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre caters to elite hockey athletes, while the Dalmia Bharat Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy offers cutting-edge facilities for badminton. Khadse expressed admiration for Odisha's advancements in sports infrastructure and the top-notch facilities facilitating an athlete-friendly environment.

Emphasizing the Indian government's dedication to enhancing sports infrastructure, Khadse stated, 'With state-of-the-art facilities like those at Kalinga Stadium, we are shaping future champions who will bring national glory. These centres are essential to our vision of establishing India as a sporting titan.' Attendees included Alok Kumar of RSS, Rajiv Seth of Naval Tata Academy, and Odisha Sports Director Deepankar Mahapatra. Khadse also visited the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS), acknowledging their comprehensive sports science labs and youth programs.