They will represent Odishaat upcoming national-level championships this year
Lanjigarh :10 students of archery training program by Vedanta Limited, Lanjigarh, India’s premier producer of metallurgical grade alumina, have become champions at the 23rd State Archery Championship 2022 held at Bolangir, Odisha.The competition was held in Khaprakhol, Bolangir, drawing 230 participants from across Odisha. These included 19 athletes from Kalahandi, selected at an intra-district championship organised last month by Vedanta Lanjigarh in collaboration with the Kalahandi District Athletics Association (KDAA).
10 of these 19 students, supported under Vedanta Lanjigarh’s archery programme,have returned homeas state champions, winning4 Gold,2 Silver and 4 Bronze medals. Three participants in the junior category – SanjayMajhi, Mithun Naik and Nithaniyal Mallick, havebeen selected for the 42nd NTPC Junior Nationals to be held in Panaji, Goa from 3rd-12th November. They will now undergo a three-week training program at Cuttack, organized by the Odisha Archery Association.
Congratulating the athletes, Mr GG Pal, Dy. CEO – AluminaBusiness, Vedanta Limited, said,“It is heartening for us to see students of our archery training programme attain well-deserved recognition and success at state and national levels. Their victories encourage us to tailor our community development programs to regional needs, making them impactful, transformative, and empowering for our communities. We wish Sanjay, Mithun and Nithaniyal the very best for the upcoming national championships!”
Mr. Jagamohan Pattanaik, President, Odisha Olympic Association and General Secretary, Kalahandi District Athletics Association, said, “This is a historic moment for Kalahandi district where our archery team have excelled by winning 10medals! I would like to congratulate all the medal winners andthank Vedanta for its efforts to encourage grassroot sporting culture.”
Mr. Sampurnananda Das, Secretary, Odisha Archery Association, praised the company’s efforts, saying, “This is a spectacular performance on the part of the participants from Kalahandi district! I would like to commend Vedantafor its endeavourstowards promoting archery in the rural belt, by providing the manyforms of supportessential for its development.”
Vedanta Lanjigarh runsseveral community development programs within the domain of sports, with the dual objective of holistic development of rural youth and increasing rural communities’ participation in the national sporting arena.At present, over 40 students are undergoing training in archery and 60 students in karate at the SSD High School, Lanjigarh, supported by Vedanta. The company has provided them with quality equipment,professional coaches, scheduled training programs, and supports them for participating in various competitions.
