The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
JHARSUGUDA; APRIL 19, 2025
Reinforcing its commitment to community development and youth empowerment through sports, Vedanta Aluminium, India’s largest producer of aluminium, has extended its support to the Inter-State Under-17 Girls’ Five-a-Side Hockey Tournament being held in Jharsuguda. The tournament, organized in collaboration with the Jharsuguda District Hockey Association, is taking place at the Hockey Stadium in H. Katapali from April 18 to 20, 2025.
Bringing together budding talents from across five states—Bihar, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Odisha — the tournament features nine competitive teams. Each team consists of eight players, guided by one coach and one team manager. Matches are being conducted in a league format, with early morning games on April 18 followed by a formal inauguration at 5 PM. The event will culminate with a grand closing ceremony at 7 PM on April 20.
The tournament is being meticulously coordinated under the leadership of Aboli Sunil Naravane, Collector and District Magistrate of Jharsuguda and President of the District Hockey Association, and Braja Bandhu Bhoi, Additional District Collector and Association Secretary. Regular reviews are being held to ensure seamless event execution, backed by the operational and logistical support of Vedanta Aluminium.
Ten officials appointed by the Odisha Hockey Association are officiating the tournament, ensuring adherence to top-tier standards of play. The event is further graced by the presence of prominent association dignitaries including Sanatan Sahu, Secretary; P.K. Mohanty, Treasurer; Ranjan Das, Senior Member; Kalu Charan Choudhury, OSD Sports; and Subhadra Pradhan, former captain of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team and current Chief Selector. Adding to the prestige of the event, Dilip Kumar Tirkey, President of Hockey India, is serving as the Chief Advisor.
Speaking on the occasion, Jeevan Mohanty, Vice-President of Odisha Hockey Association, lauded Vedanta Aluminium’s unwavering support towards grassroots sports and expressed optimism about the tournament’s role in nurturing future hockey champions.
This initiative builds on Vedanta Aluminium’s continued investment in sports development in Odisha. The company recently acquired the Kalinga Lancers, a premier hockey team based in Bhubaneswar, signaling a deeper engagement with the state’s rich sporting culture.
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, produced 2.42 million tonnes of aluminium in FY25, accounting for more than half of India’s aluminium output. A frontrunner in value-added aluminium products for core industries, the company ranked 2nd globally in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 for the aluminium sector. With world-class facilities across India, Vedanta Aluminium is driving the transformation of aluminium into the ‘Metal of the Future’, championing sustainable industrial progress.
