Bhubaneswar: The United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, Shombi Sharp met 5T Chairman Kartik Pandian and commended the state government’s efforts in transforming Odisha into a sports hub.
During the meeting, the Resident Coordinator praised the State’s initiatives in sports development. Earlier, the Resident Coordinator had toured the state-of-the-art facilities at the Kalinga Stadium, including the Indoor Athletics Centre, Sports Science Centre, and Aquatic Centre.
Expressing admiration for the facilities, the Resident Coordinator appreciated Odisha’s commitment to fostering sporting excellence and providing world-class infrastructure for athletes.
“I am absolutely amazed by the world-class facilities here in Odisha. They are truly fantastic and unlike anything I have seen before. It reminded me of my time spent at the Olympic Training Centre in Colorado while growing up. What has been accomplished in Odisha is truly incredible, and I believe it signals a very bright future for sports in the state,” shared Shompi Sharp.
Kartik Pandian thanked Mr Sharp for his visit and expressed interest to collaborate with UN to take Odisha and Indian sports to next level.
In recent times, Odisha has emerged as a major sports destination in India. Odisha is the only state with more than Rs 1,000 crores budget for sports and has been rapidly building the sports infrastructure across the state. Odisha has become the Global hub for Hockey with the best stadiums in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela (World’s largest seated hockey stadium).
The Kalinga stadium complex in Bhubaneswar has the best facilities like India’s first indoor athletic stadium, Aquatic center, India’s largest Sports science center etc. The vision of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik – “Sports for youth, Youth for future” – is getting translated into action across the state.
