By Our Correspondent
SAMBALPUR:‘Sansad Sports Festival’ is an innovative initiative conceived by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, whose main objective is to take many talented sportspersons from the grassroots level to the national level. This festival has played a major role in producing many talented sportspersons, said Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan while participating in the inauguration ceremony of ‘Sansad Sports Festival – 2025’ held at Veer Surendra Sai Stadium, Sambalpur on Monday.
Congratulations to all the participants who participated in the festival and awarded the winners. Shri Pradhan said that Sambalpur is truly a city of sports. Many players have shown their skills by participating in various disciplines of athletics including football, swimming, kabaddi and have made our region proud. It is the folk character of Sambalpur to accept everything as a ‘sportsman spirit’ and celebrate it as a festival. We have to take sports as a priority. The society will remain healthy and prosperous only if it plays. As India prepares for the 2036 Olympics, such a competition among the students of our region will further instill their sportsmanship. In the coming days, various stadiums in Sambalpur district will be made attractive and the sports infrastructure will be strengthened.
He said that a total of 53,619 players had registered in the ‘Sansad Sports Festival – 2025’ organized in various blocks of Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency. Out of which, 27,455 were male and 26,159 were female. The festival, which was held for a total of 18 days from November 7 to November 24, began in Deogarh and the closing ceremony was held in Sambalpur today. Organized under the theme ‘Healthy Youth for a Developed India’, the festival saw players from the junior category (14 to 17 years) and senior category (18 to 23 years) display their superior skills. In the junior category, 100 and 200 meter race, discus throw, shot put and Kho Kho competitions were held. Players from the senior category (18 to 23 years) participated in 100 and 200 meter races, discus throw, shot put and kabaddi competitions. Shri Pradhan thanked all the players, volunteers and the organizing committee of Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency for the successful organization of the games.
Odisha Sports and Higher Education Minister Suryavansi Suraj, State Panchayati Raj, Rural Development and Drinking Water Minister Ravi Narayan Naik, Sambalpur MLA Jai Narayan Mishra, Chendipada MLA Agasti Behera, Angul MLA Pratap Pradhan and district administration officers were also present at the closing ceremony.
