berhampur silk city hoopsters are cockahoop after a basketball court was opened inside the berhampur stadium after its renovation on monday the opening was timed to perfection as august 29 was national sports day the court was closed for the last two years and the works department has renovated the court the stadium has another basketball courtthe government had sanctioned rs 50lakh for the development of the stadium two years ago the chunk of the sanctioned funds was spent for the development of the basketball court said executive engineer works department binod padhy the other works includes repair of volleyball court construction of drains and gate of the stadium he said the opening of the basketball court would benefit players and the berhampur sports hostel inmates who are imparted training said stadium incharge sachidananda majhi twenty inmates of the sports hostel are receiving training on basketball he said the sports lovers here however urged the government to complete the stadium work setting up of a weightlifting academy and a hostel for footballersberhampur stadium has not been completed 27 years after its inception as the major portion of land is under the possession of ministry of defence mod around 1768 acres near old bus stand were identified for the stadium of the area 918 acres are under the mod the incomplete stadium was inaugurated by the then chief minister jb patnaik in 1989 we have urged the government for completion of the stadium by taking up the matter with the mod said secretary ganjam district athletic association kameswar rao similarly the work on the proposed weightlifting academy has not progressed at gopalpur even though the boundary wall was constructed around six acres official sources said mla berhampur r c chyaupatnaik said several highlevel meetings have been held at government level to resolve the dispute but in vain we hope the mod will hand over the land for completion of the stadium as the government is ready to provide same quantum of land in another place he said