Vedanta Aluminium’s Sports Initiative Sends Odisha’s Young Archers to National Stage

Bhubaneswar, Nov 14: Vedanta Aluminium announced that seven young archers—five of whom are girls—from its grassroots sports initiative have qualified for the renowned 68th national-level School Games Federation of India (SGFI) Championship, to be hosted by the Sports Authority of Gujarat.

This accomplishment highlights the company’s commitment to nurturing young talent from local communities, providing them with the skills and support needed to shine on a national stage.

Since its inception in 2018, Vedanta’s Sports Initiative has offered comprehensive training in archery and other sports to young athletes from underserved communities in Kalahandi district of Odisha.

The programme not only provides rigorous coaching but also ensures access to essentials such as uniforms, sports equipment, and expert-led coaching camps. Through this initiative, more than100 archers have been trained, with many excelling in state and national competitions, winning a total of 40 medals last year alone. Approximately 50% of the programme’s participants are girls, reflecting Vedanta’s dedication to inclusivity at the workplace as well as in community development programmes.

The SGFI Championship is one of India’s most respected platforms for school sports, aimed at fostering physical fitness, teamwork, and healthy competition among young athletes.

Reaffirming the company’s dedication to supporting young talent, Sunil Gupta, COO – Vedanta Aluminiumsaid, “Our commitment to grassroots sports goes beyond developing athletic skills; it’s about shaping well-rounded individuals equipped with essential life skills. By investing in grassroots programs, Vedanta Aluminium not only strengthens the foundation of sports within communities but also fosters a culture of inclusivity and opportunity, opening doors for local youth to realize their potential. We are dedicated to discovering and nurturing talent from the ground up, helping to bring India’s vision to life by cultivating champions who can proudly represent our nation on the world stage.”

Simanchal Majhi,archery coach, congratulated them, “I’m happy to witnessour students perform so well. The students exhibit earnest sincerity towards their practice session because ofthe robust sports ecosystem that supports students with equipment, advance coaching along with participation in various championships. This has helped thesestudents, who belong to underserved areas, build their confidence, hence resulting in such extraordinary performance.”

Vedanta Aluminium believes in nurturing young talent especially belonging to the underserved communities and through its sports initiative across the entire state of Odisha, it has trained more than 500 youth in sports like- archery, hockey, karate, and football. Additionally, through the implementation of various social impact initiatives, Vedanta Aluminium has served more than 500 villages benefiting 4.5 lakh people. It encapsulates areas such as livelihood, education, health and infrastructure, grassroots sports and culture. As part of their flagship project, Nand Ghar, the company has established around 531 Nand Ghars in Odisha, which are modernized anganwadis, for women and child development.