Fantastic Performance: 21 young archers from Odisha’s Kalahandi qualify for State Open Archery Meet 2025
The participants, drawn from rural and tribal backgrounds, competed across Indian Round, Compound, and Recurve categories.
By Payal Banerjee
Lanjigarh (Odisha), Sept. 12: In a significant boost to grassroots sports in Odisha’s tribal-dominated Kalahandi district, 21 young archers—12 boys and 9 girls—have secured berths at the upcoming 26th Odisha State Open Archery Meet 2025. The qualifiers emerged from district-level trials held recently at SSD School, Lanjigarh, organised by the Kalahandi Athletic Association with the support of Vedanta Aluminium, through its flagship Sports Training Initiative (STI).
The participants, drawn from rural and tribal backgrounds, competed across Indian Round, Compound, and Recurve categories. Out of 40 contestants, more than half earned their place at the state-level event, underlining the growing promise of archery in this relatively remote district.
The sports training programme in Lanjigarh, launched in 2018, has been grooming young talent in archery and athletics with the help of professional coaching, modern equipment, nutritional support, and exposure to competitive events. At present, 80 students are receiving structured training—40 in archery and 40 in athletics—while more than 300 youth from the region have benefited from the programme over the years.
The initiative has already begun yielding results: in the 2024–25 season alone, trainees secured 37 medals at state-level competitions, over 20 representations at national events, and one medal at the second Jan Jatiya Khel Mahotsav.
Speaking on the achievement, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, CEO of Vedanta Alumina Business, said, “This achievement is a proud moment not just for the young archers but for the entire community of Kalahandi. It demonstrates what focused training and the right support can do in unlocking potential. Our endeavour is to nurture grassroots sporting talents in the region and provide them a strong platform to shine at higher levels.”
Sports enthusiasts and local leaders say the development is more than just a sporting milestone—it signals new opportunities for children from some of Odisha’s most underprivileged areas.
“It shows what focused training and community-level support can achieve,” said an official associated with the programme, expressing hope that more such success stories will emerge from Kalahandi.
Observers note that the rise of tribal youth in archery from this region adds to Odisha’s growing sporting profile, with the state already making a mark nationally in disciplines such as hockey, weightlifting, and athletics.
The 26th Odisha State Open Archery Meet is expected to draw hundreds of competitors from across the state, and Kalahandi’s young qualifiers are now preparing to test their skills against some of the best in Odisha.
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Photograph:
Honing Skills: Young archers train in Lanjigarh, in Odisha’s tribal-dominated Kalahandi district.
