India News | Patnaik Appears in Jersey & Track Pant, Gives Message on His Good Health

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (PTI) Sporting a silver jersey and black track pant, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Monday visited the project site of the country's first indoor athletic stadium in Kalinga Stadium complex here and expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the Rs 120 crore project.

Patnaik appeared in public in a sportsperson's attire shunning his usual spotless white "kurta and pyjama" apparently to give a clear message to the people during the ongoing five-phase panchayat elections that he is fit and fine and the talks about his "ill health" are nothing but rumours.

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While visiting the 11th century Shree Lingaraj Temple in the city on February 18, Patnaik had said, “I can assure all of you that I am in perfect health and very happy to serve the people of Odisha.... Whenever there is an election, rumours about my health circulate.”

Patnaik, who is the president of the ruling BJD, claimed that whenever there is a rumour, the people can be assured that the Biju Janata Dal is going to do very well. The chief minister was also seen in the Biju Patnaik International Airport here to receive and see off President Ram Nath Kovind who arrived here on a two-day tour of Odisha on February 19. The indoor athletic stadium being built in Kalinga Stadium at a cost of Rs 120 crore, is scheduled to be in 2022. This is the first indoor athletic in the country and will help athletes practise throughout the year, an official release issued by the sports department said.

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“This indoor athletic facility will be a major boost for the development of athletics in India and will become a hub to create champions in coming years,” Patnaik said adding that the facility can host national and international indoor athletic events.

The facility will also have the provision of residential accommodation for more than 100 athletes for full-time coaching. Patnaik also visited the Tennis Centre which is being constructed for hosting national and international events. Projects worth over Rs 300 crore are under execution in the Kalinga Stadium, including the indoor athletics stadium, indoor aquatics stadium, tennis centre, staff accommodation and hockey building, the release said. Patnaik also watched a football match of the ongoing Odisha Women's Football League at the Kalinga Stadium and . . interacted with the players.

The chief minister also met the Indian hockey teams, both men's and women's, at the hockey stadium.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)