The East Coast Railway cricket stadium at Mancheswar in Bhubaneswar. The proposed sports complex will be built next to this stadium. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 18: The East Coast Railway will build a stadium in the city to facilitate multi-purpose indoor sports events.

The new full-fledged indoor stadium, to be built for Rs 14 crore, will come up next to the Railway Cricket Stadium here. It will seat 2,000 people and host major badminton, volleyball, basketball and table tennis events.

The air-conditioned stadium will have state-of-the-art facilities and include a conference hall. The project is expected to be over by 2013. Authorities of the East Coast Railway have floated a tender for the project.

East Coast Railway sources said the construction would begin soon. “The stadium will be the first of its kind in the city and help growth of indoor sports. Once the stadium is complete, the city can host major indoor events,” said a senior official of the East Coast Railway.

Bhubaneswar has one sports complex at Kalinga Stadium, which hosts major sporting events. There are also a few indoor halls where indoor games such as table tennis and badminton are held. With the stadium, the city will be able to host major indoor events.

Apart from those in Bhubaneswar, there is only one centrally air-conditioned indoor stadium in Cuttack. The state government had built the Jawaharlal Nehru indoor stadium to seat 5,626 persons.

Sportspersons of the state have felt the need for a full-fledged indoor stadium for long. “We have only one big indoor stadium in the state so far. We need another in Bhubaneswar,” said Sujit Ray, former state table tennis champion. Ray said the new stadium would be a boost for the sportspersons and fans. Earlier, the railway authorities had submitted a Rs 54 crore plan to the railway ministry to upgrade the existing stadium, making it capable of hoisting international cricket matches.

President of the East Coast Railway Sports Association Dilip Kumar Samantray said the railway had always tried its best to develop the sports infrastructure in the state. “We have nurtured many talents in the state and it would be our effort to upgrade the sports facilities here,” said Samantray.