Finance
Following a high-level meeting between Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj and Bihar’s Sports and Industries Minister Shreyasi Singh at Kalinga Stadium on Sunday, the two states agreed to strengthen cooperation in sports development, athlete exchange programmes, and grassroots talent identification.
The conference marked the end of Shreyasi Singh’s four-day official visit to Odisha and aimed to improve collaboration in sports infrastructure, sports science, coaching, and athlete development. Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Odisha Department of Sports and Youth Services, joined the discussions.
Shreyasi Singh praised Odisha’s world-class sports infrastructure and High Performance Centres, saying Bihar is rapidly expanding its sports ecosystem and proposed regular friendly matches and athlete exchange programmes between the two states to ensure better use of sports facilities. She stated that Bihar is building infrastructure for volleyball, basketball, football, and cricket practice pitches in each Gram Panchayat to strengthen grassroots sports.
Suryabanshi Suraj, highlighting Odisha’s sports development initiatives, stated that programmes such as the CM Trophy help find and nurture young sporting talent from rural areas. Poonia highlighted Odisha’s sports development strategy, and both ministers emphasized the importance of more collaboration between schools, sports institutions, and government ministries in order to create a sustainable sports ecosystem.
Sports science was also a key topic in the debates. Poonia emphasized the significance of incorporating sports science into athlete training and coaching to increase performance and protect athletes’ long-term careers. Shreyasi Singh stressed the importance of raising athlete awareness about injury prevention, nutrition, rehabilitation, and fitness management.
Suryabanshi Suraj applauded the development of the Centre’s Khelo India project and suggested establishing state and district-level brainstorming sessions similar to the Chintan Shivir held in Jammu and Kashmir. He believes that regular state-level competitions prior to national championships have an important role in boosting athlete performances.
At the end of the discussion, the Odisha minister informed the Bihar group about the state’s rich cultural legacy and unique food. Shreyasi Singh expressed her gratitude to the Odisha government for its hospitality, stating that her visit to the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri, as well as her encounter with Bhubaneswar’s greenery and cleanliness, left a lasting effect. She cited Odisha’s sports development strategy as an inspiration to the rest of the country.
