Raigarh, February 4: The Adani Foundation, the corporate social responsibility arm of Adani Power Limited in Raigarh, has launched a program aimed at connecting rural youth with sports and nurturing local talent. This initiative includes the distribution of sports equipment for village-level cricket competitions in areas linked to the company’s peripheral and rail projects.
The foundation provided complete cricket kits, including bats, balls, stumps, and jerseys, for various village cricket tournaments. Additionally, it supplied tent materials to ensure smooth organization of these events. This initiative has created an atmosphere of enthusiasm throughout the region, with rural youth expressing its immense value.
A large number of villagers and local representatives attended the program. Notable attendees included Omprakash Gupta (Sarpanch – Bade Bhandar), Sanjay Maitri (Sarpanch – Barapali), Oshram Sidar (Amli Bhona), Ashok Sidar (Sarpanch – Chhote Bhandar), Yogesh Chauhan (Youth Leader), Phanindra Sidar (Sarwani), Dinesh Patel (Sarpanch – Gejamuda), and Ram Bhagat Nishad (Sarpanch – Kashichuwa). All representatives acknowledged the Adani Foundation’s initiative as a significant step towards developing sports talent.
The sports equipment distributed to youth from villages like Bade Bhandar, Sarwani, Amli Bhona, Barapali, Gejamuda, Kurmapali, and Kashichuwa has simplified the organization of local competitions and increased interest in sports among young players. Organizers noted that this support has enabled local teams to confidently participate in larger tournaments. Over 500 young athletes from rural areas have directly benefited from this program.
The Adani Foundation also supported the Pusaur block-level cricket competition, providing jerseys and sports materials to both teams that reached the finals, along with necessary tent facilities for the event.
For the past three years, the Adani Foundation has operated a girls’ kabaddi training program, significantly enhancing the sports skills of rural girls. More than 180 school girls have been trained through this initiative, achieving remarkable performances in various competitions. The team won consecutive championships in the Chakradhar Mahila Kabaddi Tournament for the years 2023-24 and 2024-25, and was the runner-up in 2024-25. This year, the team represented Raigarh in a district-level competition held in Gharghora, defeating Jashpur in the finals to claim the championship title.
So far, 33 girls have been selected for state-level competitions. The selection of rural players Sidar, Bina Sidar, and Sanya Yadav for National-level events is a proud achievement for the entire Raigarh district. These successes demonstrate that rural girls possess the potential to develop high-level sports skills, which can be further enhanced with proper guidance and resources.
In light of the achievements from the kabaddi training program, the Adani Foundation has constructed a modern sports complex at the high school premises in village Bade Bhandar. This complex offers excellent sports facilities for players, where they receive regular training from national-level coaches. This initiative provides rural girls with opportunities to excel in sports and continuously advance towards showcasing their talents at national and international levels.
