Bhubaneswar: The four-day official visit of Sports and Industry Minister from Government of Bihar Shreyasi Singh to Odisha concluded on Sunday. She held a high-level meeting with Odisha Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj.
The meeting focused on fostering mutual cooperation between the two states in sports, athlete exchange programs, the application of sports science, and scouting young talent from the grass-roots level.
Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Odisha Sports and Youth Services Department, was also present and shared insights regarding the department’s strategies.
Praising Odisha’s world-class sports infrastructure and High-Performance Centres, Singh mentioned that Bihar is also rapidly developing its sports infrastructure. To ensure optimal utilization and management of sports facilities, she proposed organizing friendly matches and exchange programs for players between Odisha and Bihar. She further highlighted that Bihar is currently developing infrastructure for four sports—volleyball, basketball, cricket practice pitches, and football—in every Gram Panchayat.
Suraj shared that through initiatives like the ‘CM Trophy’, Odisha is nurturing new sporting talent right from the grass-roots level. Sports Secretary Mr. Bhupendra Singh Poonia explained Odisha’s working model, and both ministers agreed that strong coordination among schools, sports institutions, and government departments is essential for building a robust sports ecosystem for rural athletes.
The meeting also emphasized the critical role of *Sports Science. Mr. Poonia stressed integrating sports science into the curriculum to address coaching and training challenges while securing the future of athletes. Similarly, Ms. Singh highlighted the need for awareness programs to educate athletes on injury prevention, proper nutrition, and adequate rest.
Suraj appreciated the expansion of the Central Government’s ‘Khelo India’ centres. Based on the insights from the ‘Chintan Shivir’ held in Jammu and Kashmir, he proposed organizing similar brainstorming seminars at the state and district levels. He added that organizing state-level competitions prior to national events significantly enhances athlete performance and skill.