Pandemic shifted our focus towards the grassroots: Odisha sports minister

Minister of Sports and Youth Services Tusharkanti Behera, in a conversation with The Daily Guardian, talks about the projects through which the government of Odisha is promoting sports. Excerpts:

 Q. In what ways do you think innovation, collaboration and technology can play a vital role in reviving the sports ecosystem by creating opportunities amid the Covid-19 crisis?

A. These are unprecedented times and each sector has been affected badly. Technology is enhancing knowledge sharing and will play a key role in reducing operation costs in the coming times. Certain elements of sports training that can continue to happen online, and can be offered to trainees and sportspersons through different models will get integrated into the training regime. Our Coaches are aligned with SAI and other educative sessions through the online medium. Similarly, to benefit our athletes, we are building a set of webinars in tandem with our High-Performance Centres (HPC) to spread the HPC philosophy across all ecosystem stakeholders, and in the process, carrying out a consolidation exercise and establishing a strong channel of communication from grassroots to elite.

Q. What initiatives has the Odisha government taken in view of resuming sports in the state?

A. We have issued the detailed SOP as per the guidelines of the Central Government across our Sports Facilities. Our elite athletes resumed training at the Kalinga Stadium and we have planned resumption of training across the Sports complex and facilities, in a phased manner for the rest.

Currently, all Covid-19 protocols are being followed.

Q. What support has the Government of India extended to the states for the revival of sports?

 A. The government through the Khelo India initiative has sanctioned five infrastructure projects in the State amounting to Rupees 33 Crores. Out of this, a sum of Rupees 26.25 Crore has already been released to the State. Two projects are already completed and work is ongoing on the rest three. Besides, Union Sports Minister Shri Kiren Rijiju has recently deliberated with Sports Ministers and officials of all States and UTs including Odisha where we discussed a collaborative roadmap to further sports and youth-related activities across India especially the way forward post the corona pandemic.

Q. How is SAI responding to the call of the state sports departments, especially Odisha?

A. Like Khelo India Youth Games, Khelo India University Games is another empowering initiative of the Government of India. Odisha has earned much praise for successfully hosting major sporting events with flair. And, earlier this year, we proudly hosted the inaugural edition of the multi-sport Khelo India University Games in association with MYAS, SAI, and host university KIIT. This event saw more than 3000 athletes from over 150 universities participate for top spots in 17 disciplines.

 Further, in a bid to create a robust sporting ecosystem in the country, the Sports Ministry / SAI will establish Khelo India State Centres of Excellence in eight states including one in Bhubaneswar.

Q. How does the government plan to involve and engage the small town and rural sportsmen to bring them to the mainstream?

A. We are guided by CM Naveen Patnaik’s vision, ‘Sports for Youth, Youth for future’. Odisha has a rich resource of athletes especially at the grassroots and we are constantly creating platforms and opportunities for them to be exposed to worldclass sporting experience. Over the years, we have kept enhancing our grassroots development programme and our sporting landscape by adopting a four-pronged approach where we develop the infrastructure, identify the talent, groom, and train and empower promising athletes with world standard training under the guidance of experts and coaches at our HPCs and sports academies.