Bhubaneswar : Furthering its commitment towards nation building and grooming talented youth, Dalmia Bharat Limited, has partnered with the Odisha government to host the state’s first ever International Badminton event ‘Odisha Open 2022.’ Organised by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Tour Super 100 tournament in association with the Badminton Association of India (BAI), the event will be held between January 25th and January 30th, 2022 at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack.
Through this, Dalmia Bharat Limited continues to support its endeavor to provide youth with the opportunity to dream big and strive for excellence. At the Odisha Open 2022, over 300 players from 33 countries including Saina Nehwal, P Kashyap and Sourabh Verma from India; Kalle Koljonen from Finland; Thai badminton player Supanida Kathethong; and Cheam June Wei from Malaysia; among others, will compete for top honours that include the winning reward of $75,000.
Commenting on the company’s association with the event, Mr. Puneet Dalmia, Managing Director, Dalmia Bharat Limited, said, “We are excited to partner with the great state of Odisha and the BAI to host Odisha Open 2022. We have had a long and successful history with the elite sport of badminton that shares our core values of athletic integrity, commitment to endurance and overall performance. We now look forward to leveraging these dynamics and the athleticism required to create more visibility for the sport. We extend a warm welcome to all participants, officials and fans. We are confident that the tournament will be a record-breaking smash!”
The event, which be held in Cuttack, the state’s silver city, is also home to one of Dalmia Bharat Limited’s acclaimed cement facilities. With a prominent regional presence, the company is also gearing up for the Odisha Open’s next edition, scheduled to take place at the Badminton academy built by Dalmia Bharat Limited in association with the State Government of Odisha.
“We couldn’t have asked for a better place to host the sporting event than in the East region of India where we have been a clear partner of choice for decades.” Mr. Dalmia added.
Given the rise in COVID cases across India and internationally, the State’s Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) is working very closely with BAI to ensure that the tournament meets BWF’s standards on the COVID protocol that has been clearly defined.
Commenting on the excellent precautionary measures being adopted by the organisers, Mr. Dalmia said, “We are aligned with the organisers to collaboratively ensure that people’s safety, security and health is given paramount importance. We therefore encourage those associated with the event to follow necessary measures required as per government regulations.”
The State Government embarked on a mission to make Odisha a major sporting destination by conducting national and international sporting events. Through Odisha Open 2022, and in partnership with Dalmia Bharat Limited, the state government continues to nurture and train young players in this sports discipline with an objective to prepare players of international level.
“India has consistently delivered stellar performances in sports and we continue to produce determined badminton champions that will go that extra mile to break records at an exponential pace and make their nation proud,” said Mr. P Gopichand, the Chief National Coach for the India national badminton team and an Arjuna Awardee. “With world-class events such as the Odisha Open 2022, India is upping the ante for players and the sport as well to provide a global platform that boasts an athlete-centric system. I wish all the participants the very best and may the best woman or man win.”
Following norms, at the Odisha Open 2022, participating badminton players would be placed in a bio-bubble and spectators will not be allowed inside the stadium. However, all the games would be streamed live – the last two days of the matches would be telecasted on DD Sports while the rest of the days would be broadcasted on YouTube.
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