If the Goal is Too Far, Mend it Like Majhi

The grassroots CM takes the ball from Naveen Patnaik's famed sports policy and flicks it to the countryside. Rural Odisha will reap the bonanza

- By Arkamoy Datta Majumdar

THE ODISHA BJP'S FIRST-TIME CHIEF MINISTER, Mohan Charan Majhi, has not had an easy ride—what with the colossus-like Naveen Patnaik around as a constant point of reference. Now Majhi is taking a leaf out of his predecessor's book to get some of that éclat. With years of work, Naveen had put Odisha on the international sporting map, earning renown as one of India's most sport-forward states. Capital Bhubaneswar was its node, hosting marquee hockey tournaments at its Kalinga Stadium. Majhi's innovation is to take that legacy and extend it beyond the capital city.