Tata Hockey Academy Odisha celebrates its first anniversary

• Launches more grassroots programmes in Sundargarh & Sambalpur districts ~

• The Academy plans to induct 30 boys into the Under-17 Resident Programme this year ~

• Plans to install multiple astro turfs in Sundargarh in next 6-8 months ~

Bhubaneswar, August 14, 2020: Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA) Odisha, based out of Kalinga Hockey Complex, Kalinga stadium, Bhubaneswar, completesone successful year of its journey of grooming hockey talent of the State and shaping the future of hockey in India.

The Academy, established by the Department of Sports & Youth Services, Govt. of Odisha,in partnership with HAF (Hockey Ace Foundation) and under the aegis of Tata Trusts and Tata Steel,was launched on August 13, 2019,by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik,along with T. V. Narendran, CEO & MD, Tata Steel, in presence of Shri Tusharkanti Behera, Minister of Sports & IT, Govt. Of Odisha,with a vision to groom the upcoming sporting talent in hockey and produce world-class sportspersons.

NTHA Odisha has ventured into planned grassroot programmes in Sundargarh & Sambalpur districts and has opened 10 grassroot centres with the deployment of 16 grassroot coaches to cater to the age group of 7-14 years. These centres have already registered 2000 girls and boys with focus on gender diversity.

On the occasion Shri Tusharkanti Behera, Minister of Sports & IT, Govt Of Odisha, said:“I congratulate each and every one at Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Odisha on its first anniversary. This High-Performance Centre for Hockey was set up with the aim to promote the Sport and nurture athletes for the elite level, and it gives me immense pleasure that in a short span the Centre has grown and continues to evolve. Today, this facility has become a sought-after hub for elite hockey training in the State and that speaks volumes about the commitment of the Government and team here. The girl cadets who had joined with lots of dreams and aspirations have benefitted from their time spent here and have improved their performances significantly. NTHA Odisha has collectively ensured the cadets train, practice and perfect their sporting skills. It has allowed them, both off and on the pitch, to come together and celebrate sports and friendship. I commend each and every person associated with NTHA Odisha, especially coaches, who track and objectively monitor each cadet and work towards enhancing their potential through proper training. Last few months have been tough and trying for all, owing to the pandemic, yet each one of you have shown trust and grit and tackled this phase bravely. You have resumed training and that is a boost to the overall morale of the Centre.I am confident that the Centre will continue to enhance the efforts of the Sate to develop Hockey champions of the future.All the very best for the journey ahead.”

Shri Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Department of Sports and Youth Services and Tourism of Odisha, said:“NTHA Odisha, an initiative by Department of Sports & Youth Services, Govt. of Odisha, in partnership with HAF (Hockey Ace Foundation) and under the aegis of Tata Trusts and Tata Steel, promises to spearhead the hockey journey of the State with a vision to produce world-class players. Odisha is blessed with skilled and talented young athletes and the Academy will leverage this opportunity to promote and encourage local sporting talent. I congratulate NTHA Odisha on its 1st anniversary and wish them success in their future endeavours to shape Odisha’s sporting ambitions.

Chanakya Chaudhary, VP, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: “Bhubaneswar is fast emerging as the sports capital of India. Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Odisha,is one such elite academy that engages at the grass root level to provide the best of education and training to the youth. The Academy is not just a high-performance centre for the youth but is truly an institution where we are nurturingtomorrow’s champions at an early age and shaping their careers in a 360-degree development model. As NTHA celebrates its 1st anniversary, we are confident of a promising future for hockey in India.”

Department for Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha, under the visionary leadership of Hon’ble CM of Odisha, has approved the plan to install multipleastro turfs in Sundargarh district in next 6-8 months that will give tremendous boost to hockey belt of Odisha and will provide the talent from the State with the added advantage of early exposure to astro-based pitch resulting in elite class players from the region. The Academy also has plans to send the cadets on foreign exchange programmes for international exposure as part of the Bovelander Hockey Academy (BHA) programme; the cadets missed their first such programme in April 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

NTHA Odisha is a national academy that has cultivated phenomenal sports culture in a short span of time. At present, 18 girls from Odisha, 5 from Jharkhand, 2 from Assam, 1 each from Punjab, Manipur, and UP are being given education under the Resident Programme. The academy plans to induct 30 boys (Under-17) into the Resident Programme this year as per the proposed model.

Bovelander Hockey Academy (BHA) is the technical partner of NTHA Odisha which was launched in 2017. Floris Bovelander, the Dutch Hockey Olympian and a legend, guides the programme along with his countrymen as coaches deputed to this Indian venture. Department for Sports & Youth Services, Govt of Odisha, provides the entire Infrastructure towards this project and the day-to-day operations of the Academy/ High Performance Centre(HPC) is carried out by HAF (Hockey Ace Foundation) with support from Tata Trusts, Tata Steel, and IndusInd.