Odisha Cricket Association to setup academies in all 30 districts

CUTTACK: Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) has decided to set up cricket academies in all 30 districts of the state.

Sports Minister of Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera, laid the foundation stone for 15 affiliated centres in the first phase.

These academies will be developed under OCA's District Infrastructure Development Program and Cricket Academies in accordance with their much ambitious Vision-2024 project.

The 15 affiliated district units that were inaugurated in the 1st phase of the District Infrastructure Development Program are -- Sundargarh, Sambalpur, Balangir, Sonepur, Nuapada, Angul, Dhenkanal, Jajpur, Mayurbhanj, Bhadrak, Balasore, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Khordha and Gajapati.

Odisha chief coach Wasim Jaffer in his video message shared about the reforms that have taken place in Odisha Cricket and their much ambitious project OCA Vision@2024 under which the OCA has developed in all verticals of the game.

"The professionalism and spirited culture developed in the recent times has evolved OCA as a most pro-active association in our country. This has inspired me to join hands with Odisha Cricket as the chief coach," said Jaffer in an official release.

In this program of foundation unveiling ceremony across 15 districts were centrally inaugurated from Barabati Stadium, Cuttack in the presence of the dignitaries and the respective President, Secretaries, and members of all affiliated units.

The VISION@2024 being an ambitious project of the Odisha Cricket Association, to build a robust ecosystem of cricket in our state. It aims at providing turf wickets across the State which will provide equal and uniform opportunities, to enhance the performance of aspiring cricketers of our state.

The Odisha Cricket Association is also planning to develop the ground along with 2 nos. of turf wickets for practice, 1 cement/synthetic wicket for the same.