BHUBANESWAR: Odisha’s journey as a leading hub of sports excellence achieved another milestone on Thursday with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurating the state-of-the-art Badminton High-Performance Centre (HPC) at Kalinga Stadium here.
Speaking on the occasion, Majhi said the Badminton HPC has created an opportunity for young players of the state to excel in the sport. Stating that Odisha continues to pave way for development of sports in the country, the Odisha chief minister said, “Establishment of the world-class badminton facility is the commitment of the state government to nurture young athletes and provide them with resources to achieve global success.”
The Assam chief minister, who is also the president of the Badminton Association of India, praised the vision and efforts behind this initiative. “This partnership between Odisha government, Dalmia Bharat and Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation exemplifies how public and private collaboration can redefine sports infrastructure and development of athletes,” he added.
Gopichand said he was proud to be a part of the project. “Our goal has always been to provide a holistic platform for players to excel. This centre is a step towards achieving that dream, and I thank the Odisha government and Dalmia Bharat for their vision and support,” he added.
Managing director and chief executive officer (CEO) of Dalmia Bharat Group Puneet Dalmia said, “The venue will become a major part of the competitive circuit and draw international and national professionals.”
Established in partnership with Dalmia Bharat and the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Foundation, the centre is equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and will focus on high-performance training, sports science and talent scouting, fostering a new generation of badminton stars.
The centre is designed like a shuttlecock which when illuminated at night with specialised rooftop lighting transforms the skyline of Bhubaneswar. The facility spread across 77,000 sq ft of indoor space, houses eight fully air-conditioned badminton courts with a seating capacity of 400 and is designed to accommodate both national and international tournaments.
Sports and Youth Services minister Suryabanshi Suraj and DBL managing director Gautam Dalmia were present.
