Chief Minister Navin Patnaik, during his vigorous tour on Sunday, arrived in Sambalpur, where 5-T and Navin Odisha President Kartik Pandey inaugurated the first Mahanadi Half Marathon. The event witnessed participation from over 4000 runners across various categories. Pandey highlighted Sambalpur’s rich sporting culture and emphasized the need to nurture local talent. He mentioned that Chief Minister Patnaik has directed to provide top-notch facilities to enhance talent in the region. Recently, a state-of-the-art indoor stadium worth 32 crore rupees was inaugurated in Burla.
Additionally, groundwork has been laid for a sports complex in Sambalpur, including a Football Academy and a hockey stadium at Sambalpur University, with an estimated cost of 100 crore rupees.
Further, Chief Minister Patnaik has instructed the construction of a new football stadium in Sambalpur and the modernization of the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium. The construction and redevelopment of these stadiums are expected to cost over 350 crore rupees.
This initiative is set to significantly boost sports development in the district. During his visit, Pandey toured the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium and held discussions with officials and athletes from the District Sports Association. Pandey, a former athlete himself who played during his school and college days, boosted the morale of athletes by playing cricket with them at the Veer Surendra Sai Stadium during his visit.
