Bhubaneswar, August 29: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Saturday called for concerted efforts to make Odisha a global sports hub while celebrating National Sports Day at Lok Seva Bhawan.

Paying tribute to hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand, Majhi said the state was committed to developing world-class sports infrastructure and nurturing talent from the grassroots.

He highlighted the construction of ultramodern stadiums in 314 blocks for Rs 4,124 crore, along with the development of sports hubs and initiatives to identify rural talent.

The Chief Minister also conferred the Biju Patnaik Sports and Adventure Awards on several sportspersons, coaches, journalists and organisations for their contributions to sports.

Soumyaranjan Behera received the Biju Patnaik Adventure Award, while Pranati Mishra was honoured for lifelong contribution to sports. Shakti Prasad Nanda received the award for excellence in sports journalism.

Other awardees included Loma Swain, Gopal Krushna Dash, Suchitra Parida, Prateek Maharana, Payal Nag and Prabodh Kumar Mohanty. Samaleswari Sporting Club of Sambalpur received the Best Sports Promotion Organisation award.

Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj urged youngsters to make sports part of their daily routine, while Chief Secretary Anu Garg stressed the importance of physical fitness and announced that the Fit Odisha Mission would be prioritised across the state.