The Sport IT 2020, the first ever sports and innovation festival of India, organised by the Xavier Emlyon Business School (XEBS) in collaboration with Sports and Youth Services Department was inaugurated by Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera at Kalinga Stadium here on Saturday.
Behera in presence of Hockey legend and Hockey Promotion Council Chairman Dilip Tirkey, Hockey India CEO Elena Norman and XEBS Chairman Ashley Fernandes announced the festival open with the sound of a whistle.
Addressing the audience, Behera said that the State Government is working in the direction of taking sports to a different level altogether and encourage sports entrepreneurship to increase employment.
“Sports is not limited to physical fitness and entertainment anymore rather it has gained immense popularity as business now,” he added.
Tirkey urged investors to invest in State’s sports sector and join the Government's efforts to make Bhubaneswar the sports capital of the country.
Norman hailed the Department and XEBS for creating such a platform for youngsters and popularise sports. Fernandes encouraged students to take part in the sporting activities in large numbers and enjoy the experience.
As many as 12 start-ups in the fields of sports technology, nutrition, flow monitoring, site management, virtual reality and e-games are participating in the festival. A major attraction at the event is the Sports Marathon where high-performance centres and sports associations of Odisha have set up sports zones.