Raigarh, April 8:In a major boost to rural sports development, the Adani Foundation inaugurated a newly constructed Sports Complex and Kabaddi Training Shed in Bade Bhandar village, located in Raigarh district’s Pussore block, on Saturday. Developed as part of Adani Power Limited (APL) Raigarh’s CSR initiative, the facility aims to nurture sporting talent and empower girls through sports.

This sports complex marks a significant step in providing structured training and fitness infrastructure for rural youth, especially girls. It is fully equipped with modern gym equipment to meet the physical training needs of the kabaddi trainees.

Rising Talent from Rural Chhattisgarh

The Kabaddi training program, launched by Adani Power Raigarh in October 2022, has already started showing impressive results. During the 2024–25 season, eight girls from the training center were selected to compete in the Chhattisgarh State Junior Kabaddi Championship. Among them, Sania Yadav was chosen for the 34th Sub-Junior National Kabaddi Championship held in Gaya, Bihar, where she proudly represented the state.

Currently, 50 girls from 17 nearby villages are receiving regular training from three experienced coaches. Training sessions at the new shed now include advanced skill development and mental conditioning, helping enhance the players’ technical abilities and resilience.

A Platform for Empowerment and Recognition

Local residents and panchayat representatives lauded the Foundation’s efforts, stating that the new facility would serve as a hub for both sports excellence and self-reliance for young girls in the area. They emphasized how such initiatives can uncover hidden talent and help rural athletes gain recognition.

The Adani Foundation continues to drive a variety of CSR programs in Pussore and Tamnar blocks of Raigarh district, covering education, healthcare, women’s empowerment, livelihood improvement, and infrastructure development. It also supports other rural sports initiatives, including archery training programs.

Inauguration Ceremony

The inauguration event was graced by Jaidev Nanda, Operations and Maintenance Advisor at APL Group, who served as the chief guest. Other attendees included local leaders such as Village Sarpanch Om Prakash Gupta, Deputy Sarpanch Representative Ghanshyam Yadav, and Panchanand Gupta, along with key APL officials including Chief Business Officer Sudhakar Tandon, HR Head Ghanshyam Das Garg, Security Head Natwarsingh, Plant Communications Head Dhananjay Singh, Civil Head Dharmendra Singh, and the entire Adani Foundation team along with the girls’ kabaddi team.

Speaking on the occasion, Jaidev Nanda expressed his pride in the initiative, stating, “APL Raigarh’s support for a traditional sport like kabaddi is highly commendable. The facilities provided in this sports complex will surely help our athletes gain recognition not just at the national, but also international level. I extend my best wishes to all the young players.”