Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government, in collaboration with the Central Government and the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, has formally inaugurated Khelo India Centres across all 30 districts of the state. The initiative aims to revolutionize the state’s approach to nurturing young sporting talent by providing formal training pathways and strengthening grassroots sports infrastructure.
A total of 30 government schools, one from each district, have been selected for the establishment of these sports centres. Each centre will receive an annual financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh to support operations, training, and infrastructure maintenance, Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj informed.
“Along with providing proper training to the sportspersons, stadiums and all kinds of facilities for various sports like football, volleyball, hockey, athletics, kho kho, kabaddi etc. will be provided to the players,” minister stated.
Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj emphasized that the initiative is not just an infrastructure project but a mission to identify and nurture the next generation of sportspersons from villages, towns, and cities. The centres will provide equal opportunities to children from remote regions, focusing on Olympic and priority sports where India has strong international potential.
The centres will appoint coaches transparently, prioritizing experts from relevant disciplines and past champions. The minister expressed hope that the centres will play a key role in shaping students’ careers in sports, acting as training hubs at the grassroots level and creating a feeder system for district, state, and national teams.
