Bhubaneswar, Mar 13 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday inaugurated an integrated sports complex at Jeypore in Koraput district and 26 multipurpose indoor stadiums spread over 12 districts of the state.

Patnaik said his government gives priority to sports for building a strong youth society in Odisha.

Also Read | Fragile Five to Fifth-Largest Economy in the World Shows India's Growing Might: Hardeep Singh Puri at Viksit Bharat Event.

Spread over 11 acres of land, the sports complex at Jeypore has a natural football ground and synthetic athletic track, gymnastic centre, swimming pool, tennis and basketball open courts, and spectator gallery having a seating capacity of 500 people.

The chief minister said the sports complex at Jeypore will serve the purpose of the youths of Koraput, Nawrangpur and Malkangiri districts.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi To Distribute Loans to One Lakh Street Vendors on March 14 Under PM SVANidhi Scheme.

As many as 26 multi-purpose indoor stadiums have been constructed in 12 districts to further strengthen Odisha's efforts to promote a healthy lifestyle and create a sports environment.

It has facilities for sports like badminton, table tennis, yoga, chess, weight lifting and gym.

The indoor stadiums were established in Jaleswar, Balasore, Bargarh, Bijepur, Barpali, Padmapur, Attabira, Kabisuryanagar, Purusottampur, Gopalpurm Kodala, Bhanjanagar, Aska, Sorada, Jagatsinghpur, Paradip, Kendrapara, Joda, Jatni, Malkangiri, Balimela, Khariar Road, Binika, Rajgangpur, Brajrajnagar and Belpahar.

Patnaik said that all these indoor stadiums will take the sports culture further in the state.

"This will create many opportunities for our children, especially in the field of professional sports. Children from villages and small towns can participate in various sports competitions in large numbers," he said.

(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)