The Odisha government and Tata Steel on Wednesday signed an MoU to establish high-performance centres (HPCs) for archery and sport climbing.

According to the MoU, Odisha Tata Archery Academy and Odisha Tata Steel Adventure Foundation Sport Climbing Academy will be established in Bhubaneswar for the development of athletes in the disciplines. Regional development centres will also be set up for archery while both academies will also run grassroots programmes.

Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said: “We are delighted to collaborate with Tata Steel in this endeavour. Our partnership with Tata Steel for hockey high-performance centre has been exemplary and has produced encouraging results. We have a huge potential for archery and sport climbing in Odisha and in the country and with this new association we will be able to collectively contribute towards creating a conducive environment for athletes in these disciplines.”

A media release issued by the chief minister’s office (CMO) said: “Led by experts, these HPCs will identify and nurture exceptional talent, empowering them to compete at national and international levels and provide top-notch infrastructure and training facilities.”

It further said: “These centres will serve as hubs for aspiring athletes to realise their full potential. These academies will feature players that are scouted from the state sports hostels, state-level and national-level programmes. The athletes will also have access to the sports facilities of the sports and youth services department for their holistic development, which will include the gymnasium, swimming pool and the sports science centre at the Kalinga Stadium.”