A dream set to take wings

 Chief Minister Siddaramaiah laid the foundation stone for the Karnatala Olympic Bhavan at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium here on Friday, giving wings to a long-cherished dream.

The Olympic Bhavan, which was presented in a manifesto to the then Congress government in 2002, will finally begin to take shape under the management of the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA).

“I am pleased to be part of this occasion. It had been a dream for Karnataka to have its own Olympic Bhavan and I am happy that the talented sportspersons of the State will benefit from the Bhavan,” said Siddaramiah.

The Bhavan will be used for administrative purpose and will include seminar halls, auditoriums and a library. “Every State must have an Olympic Bhavan for the improvement of sporting culture. Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Delhi have constructed it. I am proud that Karnataka also will now have its Bhavan,” said KOA President K Govindraj.
With a budget of Rs 5-6 crore, the KOA has set a time of one year to construct the Bhavan. “The entire financial expenses for the Bhavan will be spent by KOA. We do not wish to seek any financial help from the government and we are confident of finishing it in time,” added Govindraj. 

The chief minister said he believed the State would produce many more champions at the international level. “Karnataka has the potential to meet world standards in sports. The government is ready to provide the best of facilities and infrastructure to achieve more success in sports,” he said.

Govindraj also promised that if space permits, offices of the 23 sports associations of the State will also be housed in the Bhavan.