The proposed Ekamra Sports Literary Fest 2018 would add a new chapter to the history of Odisha during its period of progression towards being the sports hub of the country.
The prestigious event will be held as a run-up to the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 as an initiative of the Department of Sports.
“Ekamra, the ancient name of Bhubaneswar, is reminiscent of its rich culture, tradition and heritage and reflects the glory, which would emanate from this mega international sport event. I thank the entire team for thinking of such a grand initiative and convey my best wishes for its success,” said Minister of Sports & Youth Services Chandra Sarathi Behera.
As part of the initiative to develop a sports culture, the Sports Department has tied up with the Emerging Sports to jointly host Asia’s first international sports literary meet, which would be held on November 2 and 3 as a precursor to the Hockey World Cup.
The festival would be held at the hotel Mayfair Convention Centre.
The lit fest would bring together national and international sports stars and writers such as Ben Johnson, Stephanie Rice, Dilip Tirkey, Mohammed Kaif, Jeff Thompson, Ajinkya Rahane, Yogeshwar Dutt, Madeleine Pape and more under one roof for the most meaningful conversations in the sports world today. Even as the number of books written on sports has increased manifold not only in India but across the world, there has so far been no platform with the right scale and canvas bringing the authors and sports persons of international acclaim together.
With prominent foreign authors and sports persons coming to Bhubaneswar, the city would get an international image and would also be seen as a hub for debate on sports and literature.
“In the world of sports literature, Bhubaneswar would be a major stop every year where authors, writers, thinkers gather to discuss sports. We hope that the sports literature festival can be a natural progression in the direction that Odisha has taken in the field of sports,” said Sports and Youth Services Secretary Vishal Dev.
All relevant information can be accessed at www.ekamrasportslitfest.com.