At the “Sportstar Aces 2023,” Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was presented with the “Best State for Promotion of Sports” award in honour of the state’s distinctive sports model, which is based on partnerships for sporting excellence, competition, coaching, infrastructure, and welfare programmes for deserving athletes.
At an event in Mumbai, the chief minister accepted the honour from famous cricketer Sunil Gavaskar and Suresh Nambath, editor of The Hindu. The honour was given to Odisha for the fourth time. The chief minister said that this event provides a wonderful platform to celebrate athletes’ contributions to the world of sports and encourage future generations to pursue their passions. He asserted that athletes are the true ambassadors of the nation and that it is our duty to support and encourage them in every way possible.
The CM claimed that Odisha is investing significantly in sports and that in the previous five years, the budget for sports had increased more than ten times. He claimed that the state’s sports budget would exceed Rs. 1,200 crore in 2023–24 and that Odisha is developing world-class facilities and fostering talent through high performance centres and contests. He noted that various international events, including the hockey World Cup in January of this year, were effectively hosted by the state.
The CM said, “It is the collective dream of all Indians to see the national flag fly high at the Olympics. We should all work together and make it a reality.”
Prasanta Patnaik