NewKerala.com

Key Points

Odisha's Sports Minister Suryabanshi Suraj announced ambitious plans for 314 block-level sports complexes at the AIFF Awards. The state honored football stars Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth during the Bhubaneswar event. Suraj emphasized Odisha's commitment to nurturing athletes for national and international competitions. The ceremony was attended by top AIFF officials and state government dignitaries.

Key Points: Odisha Minister Suryabanshi Suraj Pledges Grassroots Sports Expansion

  • Odisha plans 314 block-level sports complexes
  • Minister felicitates AIFF award winners Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth
  • State aims to produce international-level athletes
  • Event attended by AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey and Odisha officials
2 min read

Odisha committed to grassroots sports development, says Minister Suryabanshi Suraj

Odisha Sports Minister announces 314 block-level sports complexes and athlete support at AIFF Awards 2025 in Bhubaneswar

"We will build sports complexes in 314 blocks of Odisha - Suryabanshi Suraj"

Bhubaneswar, May 3

Odisha's Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Suryabanshi Suraj, reiterated the state government's strong commitment to grassroots sports and athlete support at the 2025 AIFF Awards Day held in Bhubaneswar.

The minister emphasised Odisha's continued investment in infrastructure and talent nurturing.

"We felicitated sportspersons and coaches who performed well," he told the reporters.

He further announced a major development initiative aimed at expanding access to sporting facilities across Odisha.

"We will build sports complexes in 314 blocks of Odisha," Suraj stated, underlining the government's long-term vision for sports infrastructure.

Reiterating the goal of producing world-class athletes from the state, Suraj added, "The state government is committed to ensuring that good sportspeople emerge from the state who will represent India at the national and international level."

Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth were named the AIFF Best Men's and Women's Players of the Year 2024-25 on the AIFF Awards Day in Bhubaneswar on Friday. The award function was held in the Odisha capital on the eve of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 final.

Among the dignitaries present along with AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, were Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister, Odisha, Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister, Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services, Odia Language Literature and Culture, Bhaskar Sarma, IAS, Principal Secretary, IAS, Sports and Youth Services Dept, Govt of Odisha, Manoj Ahuja, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt of Odisha, and Tankadhar Tripathy, President, Football Association of Odisha.

Members of the All India Football Federation's top brass, including the Executive Committee, and representatives from the respective state Member Associations were present at the awards, according to the AIFF media release.

Apart from Bose and Guguloth, the other individual award winners were Khalid Jamil (Best Men's Coach), Sujata Kar (Best Women's Coach), Vishal Kaith (Best Men's Goalkeeper), Elangbam Panthoi Chanu (Best Women's Goalkeeper), Brison Fernandes (Promising Men's Player), Toijam Thoibisana Chanu (Promising Women's Player), Venkatesh R (Best Male Referee), Tekcham Ranjita Devi (Best Female Referee), Vairamuthu P (Best Male Assistant Referee), and Riiohlang Dhar (Best Female Assistant Referee).

- ANI

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Pranav K.
Odisha is setting a great example for sports development in India! 👏 Building sports complexes in 314 blocks is a massive step towards finding hidden talents in rural areas. Hope other states take inspiration from this.
A
Ananya R.
As someone from Odisha, I'm proud of our government's focus on sports. But I hope they also maintain these facilities properly. Many stadiums in other states become white elephants after construction.
R
Rahul S.
Great initiative! But what about sports education in schools? Infrastructure alone won't help unless we have proper coaching and physical education programs starting from childhood.
S
Smita P.
Odisha's transformation into a sports hub is remarkable! From hosting international events to grassroots development, they're showing how state governments can make a real difference. More power to them! 💪
M
Manish T.
While the initiative is good, I hope they focus on multiple sports and not just cricket or football. India needs to develop talent in athletics, hockey, and other Olympic sports too.
K
Kavita D.
So happy to see women athletes being recognized! Soumya Guguloth and other women award winners are inspiring the next generation of girls to take up sports seriously. This is real women empowerment!

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50