Bhubaneswar: As directed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman VK Pandian on Wednesday visited Barabati stadium in Cuttack and held discussions with Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) president Pranab Prakash Das and other officials regarding the development of cricket in the state.
Pandian reviewed the plans for the transformation of the Barabati Cricket Stadium with 60,000 seating capacity. This project will be taken up under the 5T transformation initiative of the state government. The Barabati Stadium area will be developed into a world-class sports campus with the best facilities for cricketers and other sports disciplines.
The spectators will experience international standards facilities in terms of access to the stadium right from roads to parking to the galleries, comfortable viewing of the matches, and facilities like food courts, washrooms, etc. The campus will also have facilities for other sports disciplines.
The area adjacent to the Barabati Stadium will be developed for a retail mall along with 5-star hotel and office spaces. The area in front of the stadium will be developed as a public plaza and will become one of the main open public spaces for the citizens of Cuttack city.
Later, Pandian interacted with the coaches and players. He assured that cricket development will be a priority under the 5T transformation and cricket training centers with quality coaching will be developed across the state. The aim will be to make Odisha a major emerging state in the field of cricket.
To improve the competitiveness of the Odisha cricket players, he suggested starting a high-standard state-level cricket league this year with proper broadcast facilities as well. This will help all the budding cricketers to showcase their talent and help in improving their skills.
Pandian said that women’s cricket will be a major focus area. Odisha has women cricketers who have been displaying exceptional talent at the national level. To further encourage and promote women’s cricket development, an Odisha Women Cricket Academy will be started in Puri shortly.
The Odisha Cricket Academy in Cuttack will be further upgraded to provide the best coaching facilities for cricketers across all age groups.
During the discussions at Barabati Stadium, Vineel Krishna, Secretary Sports; Sanjay Behera, Secretary OCA; Anil Samal, Chairman CDA; Vineet Bharadwaj, Collector Cuttack; and other senior officials were present.
