By In the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Arcelor Mittal Nippon Steel (AMNS India) to establish a High-Performance Centre in Kho Kho, marking a significant step towards developing Kho Kho talent in the state.
Minister for Sports and Youth Services Tusharkanti Behera and Secretary Vineel Krishna from the Odisha government and Keiji Kubota and Suparna Nanda from AMNS India signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said,” We want to support our indigenous sports like Kho Kho. This partnership with AMNS to establish the Kho Kho HPC will set a new benchmark for support towards Indian sports”
As per the agreement, AMNS India has promised to provide skilled and committed Kho Kho coaches to train talented youths, while Odisha will provide the infrastructure support.
At the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha has established a bouquet of HPCs, and the Kho Kho high-performance centre will be a major addition to the ecosystem.
This unusual state-corporate partnership model has demonstrated the ability to generate elite athletes in a variety of sports, including weightlifting, hockey, football, swimming, gymnastics, sports science, and shooting. Now, the indigenous sport Kho Kho is poised for success.
The state-owned Odisha Juggernauts won the inaugural season of the Ultimate Kho Kho thanks to Odisha’s partnership with AMNS India. It established the Gymnastics High-Performance Centre and has a partnership with the corporate sector. Gymnasts won eight medals at the 2023 National Games—four gold and four silver.
