Raipur: Chhattisgarh's first international astroturf hockey stadium built at an estimated cost of Rs 22 crore at Rajnandgaon district headquarters was today inaugurated amid a grand opening ceremony.
The stadium, spread over an area of nearly 9.5 acres, was dedicated to public today at the hands of state Governor Shekhar Dutt and Chief Minister Raman Singh.
The exhibition match between Governor's Eleven and Chief Minister's Eleven comprising some international players, including Indian hockey men's squad skipper Sardara Singh, Harjot Singh, Affan Yousuf, Lalit Upadhyay and others, also was played the occasion.
"Hockey is our national game. Even before India attained freedom, Indian sportspersons made the country proud by performing excellently well in many world-class hockey tournaments," the Governor said in his address.
Right from rural areas of state to urban areas, better facilities will have to be put in place to provide better training to hockey players of the state, he added.
Raman Singh said, with the support of public, construction of the first international hockey stadium of state has been completed within the record period of 18 months.
"The hockey players of the state definitely have a bright prospect and government is eager to provide them all sorts of facilities, so that the sports talents in state is trained well to glorify the name of the country at the international level in the field of hockey," he added.
Cherishing the glorious past of hockey in India, Chief Minister said that collective efforts are needed to bring back those days of glory for the Indian hockey.
He also assured that the construction of astro turf hockey stadiums in Raipur will by completed by next month and in Bilaspur by the month of April.
