Odisha was awarded the ‘Best State for the Promotion of Sports’ at the 2023 Sportstar Aces 2023 Awards here on Monday. The State won this prestigious award for the fourth time.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik received the award from Hindu editor Suresh Nambath and legendary cricketer Sunil Gavaskar. He dedicated the award to the people of Odisha. He lauded the hard work and commitment of the State’s athletes.
Patnaik said, “We are making huge investment in sports, which is investment in youths and therefore investment in our future. We have increased our budget for sports by more than 10 times in last five years. In the coming year, our sports budget is more than Rs 1,200 crore. We have successfully hosted many global events including the recent Hockey World Cup.”
To promote sports and fitness in the society, Odisha is developing 90 multipurpose indoor halls across all urban areas, he said.
