Odisha Channel Bureau
Bhubaneswar: Government of Odisha through Sports and Youth Services Department and Swimming Federation of India (SFI), today, entered into a partnership to develop, promote and expand the swimming ecosystem in the state and the country.
Through this collaborative partnership, Odisha will provide support and sponsor SFI and the Federation in conjunction with Odisha State Swimming Association (OSSA) will provide their technical expertise. The partnership will be valid for one year extendable to five years, under mutually agreed terms, according to officials.
Commissioner-cum-Secretary, Sports and Youth Services Department, Government of Odisha, R. Vineel Krishna and Secretary General, Swimming Federation of India, Monal Chokshi signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in presence of Virendra Nanavati, FINA Bureau member & Senior Vice President SFI, on the side lines of the ongoing Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021 at the Kalinga Stadium.
The partnership, over the next five years, will be towards the holistic development of the sport from grassroots to elite, include conduct of national and international repute swimming competitions and events and conduct ‘train the trainers’ courses in Odisha.
“Swimming is a major discipline in multi events. The sport has a lot of potential to grow and many young swimmers are showing great prospect at the national level. We are delighted to partner with Swimming Federation of India for the holistic development of the sport of swimming in Odisha,” said Krishna.
The Federation will assist in developing all forms of aquatic sports in the state and to produce elite swimmers. This partnership will enable Odisha to conduct national and international aquatic championships in Odisha, he added.
“The Biju Patnaik Swimming Pool Complex at Kalinga Stadium is one of the finest swimming infrastructures in the country and we are strengthening our grass root swimming training centres too. Our high performance partnership with JSW Sports and this association with Swimming Federation of India will give an added impetus to the sport of swimming, he added.
“We are very excited with the signing of the agreement between SFI and the Odisha Government for development of aquatic sport in Odisha and the country. This is an important milestone for SFI and I am certain this partnership will be an enduring relationship to take aquatic sport in the country to uncharted heights,” said Monal Chokshi, Secretary General, Swimming Federation of India.
