Anugul, Bolangir crowned Odisha regional champions at Isha Gramotsavam

Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 (PTI) SBVT from Angul and Kuskela from Bolangir emerged champions in men’s volleyball and women's throwball, respectively, at the Odisha Regional Finals of the 17th Isha Gramotsavam, a rural sports and cultural festival, here on Sunday.

In the men’s volleyball final, SBVT defeated Khordha’s Kushamati Blocker, while Kuskela overcame Buxi Jagabondhu Club from Bargarh in the women’s throwball summit clash.

The winners and runners-up received cash prizes of Rs 12,000 and Rs 8,000 respectively and will represent Odisha at the national finals on September 21 at the Isha Yoga Center, Coimbatore.

This debut edition in Odisha saw nearly 1,800 players from 19 districts across five clusters -- Cuttack, Puri, Bolangir, Khordha, and Dhenkanal -- competing in men’s volleyball and women’s throwball.

Eight teams each battled in the regional finals on Sunday.

At the national level, Isha Gramotsavam 2025 spans more than 35,000 villages across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Puducherry, and Odisha, with over 50,000 participants, including 5,000-plus women.

Recognised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports as a National Sports Promotion Organisation, Isha Gramotsavam received the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar in 2018 for grassroots sports promotion. PTI TAP DDV