39 sportspersons including 30 women join Odisha Police Service

As many as 39 meritorious sportspersons including 30 women and nine men from various fields joined the State Police Service on Saturday, informed the Chief Minister's Office (CMO).

According to a statement issued by the CMO, previously, 96 sportspersons have been appointed in various ranks of Odisha Police in 6 phases in the past.

Speaking at an induction programme for the new entrants to the state police through a virtual platform, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said that that the State government is investing more than Rs 1,000 crores in developing the sports infrastructure across the state and is building India's largest hockey stadium in Rourkela for the Hockey World Cup in 2023.

Stating that sports is the best way to teach good virtues and channelise the energies of youth in a positive manner, the chief minister said that an investment in sports is an investment in youth and an investment in youth is an investment in the future of the state.

Congratulating them for joining the police service, the Chief Minister said, "It's a big moment for you to join a job and share the responsibilities of your families. I am sure your parents and families are proud of your achievement. It requires a lot of passion, discipline and hard work to excel in sports."

Speaking about the state's achievements, he said, "We have embarked on a journey to make Odisha a sports powerhouse. In the last few years, Odisha has featured prominently in the sports sector in the country. We have successfully hosted a number of national and international events. Hockey World Cup 2018 and Asian Athletics championship 2017 have been a great success for the state."

On the state's strategy in sports, he said that the state government has partnered with Corporates and eminent sportspersons to start high-performance centres. Coaching at the grassroots level and sports education in schools is a major focus area to develop sports across the state, he added.

He further said that the state's para-athletes have also been performing well at the international level. Pramod Bhagat, Arjuna Awardee, has qualified for Paralympics and is a leading contestant for the medal, said Patnaik.

"We would like to continue to financially support our para-athletes and also provide job-related support for them to excel in the sports field," he added.

The Chief Minister also launched the extension of e-FIR under the 5T initiative for public Place Theft, informed the CMO.

As per CMO, it will help people in lodging FIR relating to chain snatching, laptop, mobile theft etc at public places.

"They need not go to any police station and lodge an FIR from any place any time in virtual police station at State Crime Record Bureau. The complainant will also get an sms alert on the progress of the investigation," it added.

( With inputs from ANI )

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