Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Suryabanshi Suraj Sunday virtually inaugurated Khelo India centres in all 30 districts of the state.
The centres were established in collaboration between the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, and the state’s Sports and Youth Affairs Department, Suraj said.
“Khelo India centres have been opened with the aim of developing sports infrastructure and talent at the grassroots level,” the minister said.
He said that apart from providing proper training, all infrastructural facilities will be made available for players of sports such as football, volleyball, hockey, athletics, kho kho and kabaddi, among others.
Along with this, an annual grant of Rs 5 lakh per centre will also be provided by the Union government for the proper management of these centres. Past champions from the local area will be recruited as coaches, Suraj said.
“These centres will be important for those who want to make a career out of sports. It will also help promote sports culture,” he said.
The objective of these centres is to create a national-level platform for athletes to showcase their talent and to identify them for further grooming and financial support, he added.
PTI
