Team News Riveting
Bhubaneswar/Jamshedpur, December 14
In a landmark development for the sporting landscape of Odisha, the state government has entered into a strategic partnership with Tata Steel to establish two High-Performance Centres (HPCs) dedicated to Olympic sports – Archery and Sport Climbing.
The collaboration is aimed at fostering the growth and development of athletes in these disciplines, creating an enabling environment for their advancement.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed in the esteemed presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik; Chanakya Chaudhary – Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel; Vineel Krishna – Secretary Sports DSYS; Mukul V Choudhari – Chief Sports, Tata Steel; Debasis Jena – Chief Resident Executive, Tata Steel; Aswini Mohanty – Resident Executive, Tata Steel and Rajiv Seth – Head Sports, Odisha, Tata Steel & Project Director Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC.
In Bhubaneswar, the Tata Archery Academy, Odisha and Tata Steel Adventure Foundation Sport Climbing Academy, Odisha along with regional development centers, will conduct grassroots programs to identify and nurture exceptional talent. Athletes at these academies will have access to top-notch infrastructure and training facilities, enabling them to compete at both national and international levels.
Guided by seasoned professionals, these High-Performance Centres (HPCs) will serve as hubs for aspiring athletes, fostering talent from state sports hostels, state-level, and national-level programs. Athletes will benefit from comprehensive sports facilities provided by the Sports & Youth Services Department, including the gymnasium, swimming pool, and India’s largest sports science centre at the Kalinga Stadium.
The collaboration between Government of Odisha and Tata Steel in establishing these High-Performance Centres is a testament to the state’s commitment to sports development. It builds upon the successful partnership between the two entities in the form of the Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre, Odisha which has produced remarkable results.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “We are delighted to collaborate with Tata Steel in this endeavour. Our partnership with Tata Steel for Hockey High-Performance Centre has been exemplary and has produced encouraging results. We have a huge potential for archery and sports climbing in Odisha and in the country and with this new association, we will be able to collectively contribute towards creating a conducive environment for athletes in these disciplines.”
He also added, “Archery is an ancient traditional game of India. We will promote the sport in partnership with Tata Steel. There is a lot of talent among our tribal children and hopefully, many champions will emerge from this HPC.”
The establishment of the Archery HPC and the Sport Climbing HPC further solidifies Odisha’s position as a major sports hub in the country. The state is already home to high-performance centres in various sports, including hockey, football, swimming, athletics, gymnastics, sports science, shooting, and weightlifting.
This unique partnership model between the state government and a corporate entity has proven successful in producing elite athletes across disciplines.
