BHUBANESWAR 08-Jun-2018
In celebration of the State achieving readiness in record 90 days for the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) held here in 2017, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik unveiled coffee-table book `Challenge to Opportunity’ and documentary at the Secretariat today. Consisting of well-curated content and memoirs, the book and documentary capture the action and emotions of AAC along with the achievements of the state.
Commenting on the occasion, the Chief Minister said, “Initiatives like these are the cornerstone to propel and make Bhubaneshwar and Odisha, a hub for sports in the country. AAC represents the agility, commitment and drive of the people of Odisha. We could have taken this as a challenge or an
opportunity; we chose to take it as an opportunity. The opportunity for Odisha to bring glory to India.”
Vishal Dev, Commissioner–cum-Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Services said, “We are committed to the development of sports and The AAC 2017 was the perfect example as it inspired
us to take up the challenge and turn things around in a record 90 days. We are proud about the fact that the Kalinga Stadium is a symbol for world class sporting events, and upcoming events like the Hockey World Cup in 2017 will only reinforce this.”
``The Government of Odisha has followed a focused approach in nurturing sports. This is being done by way of a well-defined two-pronged strategy: nurture, and in turn create global athletes. Secondly, make sports a part of the daily fabric of life, thereby taking it to the grassroots, and in that widening the talent pool. Six disciplines that have been prioritised are: Athletics, Archery, Weight-Lifting and Badminton as individual sports; Hockey and Football as team sports,’’ he added.
Nupur Mahajan, Creator of the book and documentary, said,``The AAC 2017 saw ideas come into fruition in a remarkably short window of time. Later, telling the story through the book and the film completed the full circle of a creative journey. As a story teller it was a compelling subject how a State and its Govt through sheer love and commitment made this race against time a success story.”
