Bhubaneswar, April 8 The Odisha government has entered a partnership with Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel India to set up a High Performance Centre (HPC) in Gymnastics in Bhubaneswar to promote and develop the sport of gymnastics in the state.
Odisha Sports & Youth Services Secretary Vineel Krishna and deputy director (HR & Admin), AM/NS India, Keiji Kubota signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Kyoto, Japan.
As part of this agreement, academies will also be set up in Puri, Jeypore in Koraput district and Rourkela in Sundergarh district.
As per the agreement, the Odisha government will create and maintain the infrastructure for the HPC and academies while AM/NS India will operate and manage these centres and train gymnasts, in particular women gymnasts, and provide coaching development and certification, and judge certification.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, said his government is dedicated to the development of sports in the state. Gymnastics as an Olympic sport is evolving and has always had mass appeal.
Odisha has a pool of talent who under expert guidance and a holistic supports system can be nurtured to become international gymnasts over the next five years, he said.
"I am delighted to see our state and AM/NS India come together yet again, this time to promote gymnastics. This partnership will go a long way in creating a vibrant gymnastics ecosystem in the country and help us identify and develop young talent for the future," the Chief Minister said.
Patnaik said Odisha's earlier collaboration with AM/NS India during the Ultimate Kho Kho League proved very fruitful with team Odisha Juggernauts emerging champions.
The company's efforts in promoting hockey were also commendable.
The government recognises the importance of public- private partnerships in encouraging sports development, he said, adding: "We value AM/NS India's continued support in this endeavour with Odisha state emerging as a hub for promoting sports culture in India."
The Odisha AM/NS Gymnastics High Performance Centre will be a facility housed in the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for senior athletes participating in the 'Elite Senior Gymnastics Programme'.
While the three Odisha AM/NS Gymnastics Academies will be located in Puri, Jeypore, and Rourkela for grassroots level athletes.
The HPC and Academies will focus on creating a robust scouting framework, develop talent from Odisha to compete at National and International levels with competent coaching teams, quality equipment and sports science support, officials said.
It will develop a gymnastics ecosystem with long term sustenance, with coach development and certification, judge certification and with a special focus on female gymnasts, they said.
The athletes will receive international and national exposure in addition to academic support.
The programme will help develop the sport in India and build a strong foundation of skilled coaches, trainers, and support staff.
Odisha has already set up Gymnastics Centre in Puri and Bhubaneswar and an additional centre in Rourkela will be operational soon.
Gymnasts who have represented Odisha at national and international level have commenced their training at these centres.
Noteworthy, Odisha is the only state to set up a bouquet of high performance centres in India and since 2019, HPCs in Swimming, Shooting, Weightlifting, Football, Hockey, Sports Science and Athletics are operational and have produced national and international players.
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