Barabati to Kalinga: Top sports facilities in Cuttack and Bhubaneswar

Odisha has emerged as a prominent destination for sports in India, with its cities Cuttack and Bhubaneswar offering some of the best sports facilities in the country.

In this article, we will take a closer look at the sports facilities available in these two cities.

Barabati Stadium

The Barabati Stadium is the most well-known ground for cricket in Cuttack. With a seating capacity of over 50,000, it is the oldest stadium in Odisha and has floodlights available for day-night matches. The stadium has hosted several international cricket matches and is also the home ground of the Odisha cricket team.

Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium

Located in Biju Patnaik Colony, Cuttack, the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium is an indoor sports facility with centralised air-conditioning. It has been the venue for various sports events for a long time.

Sports Authority of India (SAI)

The Sports Authority of India has a branch in Cuttack that is a training centre for various sports. The facility was established as a part of the Sports Hostel Scheme and offers training for athletics, volleyball, football, and other sports.

DRIEMS Ground

The DRIEMS Ground is an engineering college ground used for training and is the home ground of women’s one-day international cricket matches. It is now held under the Odisha Cricket Association and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The ground also hosts Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournament matches.

Satyabrata Stadium

The Satyabrata Stadium is a multi-sport training facility that offers a walking and jogging track. It is located in Biju Patnaik Colony, Cuttack, and attracts a large crowd of people every day for training and other sports activities.

Kalinga Stadium

The Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is a multipurpose stadium that has been internationally acclaimed for its functionality. It has arenas for hockey, football, and a solid athletic track with Olympic-quality AstroTurf. It is the home ground of ISL club Odisha FC and has successfully hosted two hockey World Cup matches.

OCA Cricket Academy

The OCA Cricket Academy is another sports facility located in Cuttack that has helped in nurturing young talents of Odisha cricket. It functions as a state-level association that controls cricket throughout the state and has successfully brought the team forward.

Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre

The Abhinav Bindra Targeting Performance Centre (ABTPC) was established in collaboration with the Abhinav Bindra Foundation and the Government of Odisha in 2018. It is a high-performance training centre designed specifically for elite-level shooters and aims to provide world-class facilities and training opportunities to Indian athletes.

The ABTPC boasts a state-of-the-art shooting range with 60 lanes, which includes 10 lanes equipped with electronic targets that provide instant feedback to the shooter. Additionally, the centre has a sports science and medicine centre, a physiotherapy centre, and a rehabilitation centre. The facility is equipped with cutting-edge technology like the Electronic Target System (ETS), which provides shooters with real-time data on their performance.

The centre’s training programmes are designed and executed by an expert team of coaches, sports scientists, and sports medicine professionals. The ABTPC also conducts various training programmes, workshops, and seminars for coaches, athletes, and sports enthusiasts to promote sports in the state.

Odisha Aditya Birla Gagan Narang Shooting HPC

The Odisha Aditya Birla Gagan Narang Shooting High-Performance Centre (HPC) was established in 2019 in collaboration with the Government of Odisha and Indian Olympic medallist Gagan Narang. It is a world-class shooting facility that offers training and development programmes to shooters at all levels.

The HPC features a shooting range with 10 lanes equipped with electronic targets. The facility is equipped with advanced shooting simulators, audio and video recording systems, and other technologies that provide precise analysis of a shooter’s performance.

Meanwhile, the state has made remarkable progress in the field of sports and is home to several world-class sports facilities. These facilities have played a crucial role in promoting various sports in the state, including cricket, football, hockey.