Bhubaneswar: Odisha and Bihar have agreed to strengthen cooperation in sports development, athlete exchange programmes, and grassroots talent identification following a high-level meeting between Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and Bihar’s Sports and Industries Minister Shreyasi Singh at Kalinga Stadium here on Sunday.
The meeting marked the conclusion of Shreyasi Singh’s four-day official visit to Odisha and focused on enhancing collaboration in sports infrastructure, sports science, coaching, and athlete development. Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Odisha Department of Sports and Youth Services, Bhupendra Singh Poonia, also participated in the discussions.
Appreciating Odisha’s world-class sports infrastructure and High Performance Centres, Shreyasi Singh said Bihar is rapidly expanding its sports ecosystem and proposed organising regular friendly matches and athlete exchange programmes between the two states to ensure better utilisation of sports facilities. She said Bihar is developing infrastructure for volleyball, basketball, football, and cricket practice pitches in every Gram Panchayat to strengthen sports at the grassroots.
Highlighting Odisha’s sports development initiatives, Suryabanshi Suraj said programmes such as the CM Trophy are helping identify and nurture young sporting talent from rural areas. Poonia presented Odisha’s sports development model, and both ministers stressed the need for stronger coordination among schools, sports institutions, and government departments to create a sustainable sports ecosystem.
Sports science also figured prominently in the discussions. Poonia underlined the importance of integrating sports science into athlete training and coaching to improve performance and safeguard athletes’ long-term careers. Shreyasi Singh emphasised the need for greater awareness among athletes on injury prevention, nutrition, recovery, and fitness management.
Suryabanshi Suraj welcomed the expansion of the Centre’s Khelo India programme and suggested holding state- and district-level brainstorming sessions on the lines of the Chintan Shivir organised in Jammu and Kashmir. He said regular state-level competitions before national events play a vital role in improving athletes’ performance.
At the end of the meeting, the Odisha minister introduced the Bihar delegation to the state’s rich cultural heritage and traditional cuisine. Expressing her gratitude for the hospitality extended by the Odisha government, Shreyasi Singh said her visit to Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri and her experience of Bhubaneswar’s greenery and cleanliness had left a lasting impression. She described Odisha’s sports development model as an inspiration for the rest of the country.
