Bhubaneswar: Odisha celebrated National Sports Day at the Convention Centre in Lok Seva Bhawan on Saturday, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi calling for a concerted effort to establish the state as the sports capital of the world.
Majhi, who attended the state-level celebration as chief guest, paid tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand on his birth anniversary and extended greetings to the people of Odisha on National Sports Day.
Recalling the contribution of the ‘Wizard of Hockey’, the Chief Minister urged the youth to draw inspiration from his philosophy that what matters is not what the country has done for an individual, but what the individual has done for the country.
Referring to this year’s national theme, ‘Khelega Bharat, Jitega Bharat’, Majhi gave the state a sporting resolve of its own — ‘Kheliba Odisha, Jitiba Odisha’ — and called upon people to work towards making Odisha a global sports hub.
Describing the state’s sporting transformation through the ‘From Field to Podium’ approach, Majhi said Odisha has emerged as a major sports powerhouse in India. The government, he said, is committed to creating world-class infrastructure and providing quality training facilities to nurture sporting talent from an early age.
He said ultramodern stadiums are being constructed in 314 blocks across the state at a cost of Rs 4,124 crore as part of efforts to strengthen sports at the grassroots level. A world-class sports complex is also being developed at Gothapatna in Bhubaneswar, while the Baji Rout Regional Sports Hub is being established in Dhenkanal along with five other regional sports hubs.
The Chief Minister said initiatives such as the CM Trophy were being organised to identify and bring rural sporting talent into the limelight. He added that the government was looking at sports not merely as a competitive activity but also as an instrument of social transformation.
Sports equipment is being distributed among youths in 485 villages across 10 Maoist-affected districts, he said.
Majhi also highlighted Odisha’s achievement in securing the opportunity to host the 2028 Asian and World Athletics Indoor Championships, marking the first time that the prestigious championships will be held in India.
The Chief Minister also conferred the Biju Patnaik Adventure Award on Soumyaranjan Behera of Nayagada district. Posthumous Biju Patnaik Adventure Awards were presented to the late Nilamadhab Panda and Sunil Kumar Ray of Jajpur district.
The Biju Patnaik Sports Award for lifelong contribution to the promotion of sports and sportspersons was conferred on Pranati Mishra, while Shakti Prasad Nanda received the award for excellence in sports journalism.
Loma Swain was honoured for outstanding performance in sports, Gopal Krushna Dash was named Best Coach, and Suchitra Parida received the Best Para Athlete award. Prateek Maharana and Payal Nag were honoured as Best Emerging Sportspersons, while Prabodh Kumar Mohanty received the Best Technical Official award.
The Best Sports Promotion Organisation award went to Samaleswari Sporting Club of Sambalpur. The award was received by the club’s president and Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra.
Speaking on the occasion, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj paid tribute to Major Dhyan Chand and said dedication and discipline, along with sporting skills, were essential to transform an ordinary player into a great sportsperson.
He urged sportspersons to make the legendary hockey player’s dedication and commitment a guiding principle and advised children to incorporate sports into their daily routine while reducing screen time.
Chief Secretary Anu Garg highlighted the achievements of para archer Payal Nag of Balangir district, who, despite not having hands, has won a gold medal in sports and emerged as an inspiration to others.
Garg said physical fitness was also crucial to building a prosperous Odisha and stated that the state government had conceptualised the Fit Odisha Mission, which would be accorded priority from the gram panchayat to the municipal level.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Sports and Youth Services Department Bhupendra Singh Punia delivered the welcome address, while Director of the Sports and Youth Services Department Yeddula Vijay proposed the vote of thanks.
