Five reasons why Odisha could be the future of sports in India

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

Odisha and all of this seems to have been addressed. As the car turns into the Kalinga stadium compound, it marks the start of what is now being talked about by many as the “Odisha model”. “I am from Australia and have worked across the world but in no other country do you see this level of infrastructure in one precinct, not even in Australia,” says David John, who’s credited for India’s hockey success in Tokyo and is now the high performance director in Odisha.

The state could soon become the hub of Indian sport. Here is why:INFRASTRUCTURE The infrastructure is not just restricted to Bhubaneswar. Even Rourkela, which doesn’t have the best air connectivity, has five synthetic pitches for hockey (Bengal doesn’t have a single one) and it’s probably the reason that the sport is making so much progress in the region.

The Birsa Munda stadium is an architectural marvel and has become a local landmark. The high performance center (HPC) and grassroot academies are all working in sync to harness tribal talent from the region. It is no surprise that stars like Jyoti Chhatri and Sunelita Toppo are coming through the ranks and making a mark at the international arena.

“When we started playing hockey, we had no access to facilities. And look at things now. There has been a sea change and it is natural you will see a huge impact,” says Dilip Tirkey, a son of the soil and president of Hockey India.