Bhubaneswar: On National Sports Day, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest aluminium producer, organised several sporting events across its operations like ‘Cyclothon ’and indoor games tournament, furthering its commitment to enhancing grassroots sporting culture by engaging local youth and employees. Acknowledging the fundamental contribution of sports to holistic youth development, the company is further bolstering the ecosystem and training infrastructure for young enthusiasts propelling them to achieve national recognition, particularly in disciplines such as Archery, Hockey, and Karate.
On the occasion, the company organised several sporting events for its employees and community members across its operations in Odisha at its world-class alumina refinery at Lanjigarh and its mega aluminium smelter at Jharsuguda. A spirited ‘Cyclothon’ was organised in association with Marwari Yuva Manch in Jharsuguda which was inaugurated by Ms. Dipali Das, Member of the Legislative Assembly, Jharsuguda and Mr. Sunil Kumar Satya, CEO – Power, Vedanta Limited – Aluminium Business where hundreds of community members cycled to promote the benefits of leading an active life.Fostering grassroots sports is also an integral part of the culture at Vedanta Aluminium, and the company has created vibrant sports committees at each of its operations for employee and community engagement. The Sports Committee at Lanjigarh refinery organised an indoor games tournament for employees, ‘Spardha-2023’ where they demonstrated their skills at games like chess, table tennis and carrom. The company’s mines vertical will also be conducting inter-school sports competition in the Sundargarh district.
Vedanta Aluminium’s vision of building a sustainable ecosystem of high-performance sporting culture is reaping impactful results on the ground. The company is nurturing local hockey talent in Jharsuguda and has organised several tournaments like the District Hockey Championship and a friendly hockey tournament ahead of the recently concluded Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2023. Furthermore, the company also sponsored the construction of the new administration building of the Jharsuguda District Athletics Association.
In Lanjigarh, the company supports grassroots sports by providing quality equipment and training by expert coaches for youths from local communities to compete on the state and national levels. Currently, the company supports the training of over 40 students in archery and 60 students in karate at the SSD High School, Lanjigarh. In 2022, the students from the program participated in 75 state-level and 15 national-level competitions, bagging over 35 medals across various tournaments.
On the occasion, Mr. Sunil Gupta, COO, Vedanta Ltd. – Aluminium Business said, “At Vedanta Aluminium, we believe that the transformative power of sports does not just shape the careers of our youth but their lives as well. Odisha has a remarkable record of giving the country some of India’s top football and hockey players. Strengthening the same legacy, we are empowering local youth by building a sports infrastructure and fostering a culture of excellence that resonates far beyond the playing field. It is heartening to see them excel in their respective sports and become a source of inspiration for many.”
Vedanta Aluminium’s social endeavours have been instrumental in enhancing the educational and healthcare status of the local communities near its operations, thus playing a vital role in the holistic growth of its communities in the area. From here, it was a natural progression for the company to support grassroots sports infrastructure and provide youth with the opportunity to fulfil their aspiration in the sport of their choice. The first generation of athletes trained by the company has brought glory to the state and been a great source of inspiration. Such is the story of Simanchal Kadraka, supported by the company through childhood, schooling, college and employment, is now a local archery coach, training local youngsters, as well as himself. Click here to know more about his inspiring story featured in the company’s ‘People of Metal’ series.
Continuing its efforts, Vedanta Aluminium is supporting the second and future generations of sports enthusiasts. As a result, local athletes have wonmany competitions such as the Janjatiya Khel Mahotsav, the National-level Archery competition, school and state competitions, and other comparable events. Recently, the company-supported archery team won several medals in the State School Meet and a bronze for the state in the inaugural edition of the Janjatiya Khel Mahotsav 2023, a national-level archery competition held at Bhubaneshwar. Moreover, Vedanta Aluminium’s townships across the operations are equipped with state-of-the-art playgrounds and sports facilities, encouraging not only youngsters but all residents to participate in sports and lead an active life.
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