Karnataka Olympic Bhavan to be inaugurated on Friday

Sixty years after its formation, the Karnataka Olympic Association (KOA) will finally have its own premises when the ambitious Karnataka Olympic Bhavan is inaugurated on Friday.

Located at the Sree Kanteerava Stadium Complex, the Olympic Bhavan has been built on a 10,000 square feet area. The  three-storey building, apart from housing the KOA offices, will have a sports library, meeting rooms, a function hall with a seating capacity of 300 members and a 'Hall of Fame'.

While the land was given by the state government in 2015, the Bhavan has been totally built by KOA using its own funds. The project cost Rs 3.5 crore.

"The government gave us the land but we built it with our funds and with the support of our members," said an elated KOA President K Govindaraj on Wednesday. "Now, we are one of the few State Olympic Associations in the country to have our own place. All our affiliated sports associations can use our facilities to conduct their meetings. The KOA awards will also be hosted here in the future. We won't need to go anywhere else. I thank chief minister Siddaramaiah for supporting our dream and giving us this land."

Govindaraj also turned nostalgic while announcing the details of the new structure. "February 23 will mark 60 years of the KOA's formation. The first meeting of  the KOA was held at the Deccan Herald office. It was decided at that very meeting that the executive committee would approach the government for land but nothing materialised. I'm glad we are able to realise our dreams now."

The chief minister will inaugurate the bhavan while a host of dignitaries will attend the ceremony, including IOA president Narinder Batra. KOA's website (karnatakaolympicassociation.com) will also be launched on the same day. The website will provide useful information and contain the list of KOA award winners, Arjuna, Padma Shri and Dronacharya award winners besides results of competitions.

The KOA, which has been operating  from a different building inside the Sree Kanteerava Stadium complex since 1980, will move into the new building in a few months' time.