Chief minister Naveen Patnaik said on Friday that sports literature could create a special kind of impact on people’s minds.

Patnaik said the games, the players and their struggles, victories and rejoices, failures and disappointment, and the truth behind each story through literature could inspire the young generation. “Sports can be a life-changing experience. It can change our outlook towards life,” Patnaik said.

Naveen was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the two-day Ekamra Sports Literary Festival that began here on Friday. He invited people from across the world to the city for the upcoming Hockey World Cup. “The greatest spectacle in the world of hockey is going to happen in Bhubaneswar. It is obvious that there will be a lot of writing on the event. We welcome the finest minds in the world of sports to write, discuss and reveal their stories,” he said.

A number of eminent persons of the state took part in talk sessions on the sports events that Odisha had been hosting.

Minister of state sports and youth services department Chandra Sarathi Behera told sports journalists how such a festival marked a new chapter in the history of Odisha. A session with former Australian cricketer Jeff Thomson turned out to be nostalgic and fun.

Triple Olympic gold medallist swimmer, Australia’s Stephenie Rice, who was also a part of the festival, said: “The event will not only create headlines but also pave the way for a new sporting philosophy and strategy.”

The festival had an entertaining line-up of sessions with sportspersons — Ben Johnson, Ajinkya Rahane, Aakash Chopra, Rick Charls, Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tikray — that explored various nuances related to sports and sportspersons.