Bhubaneswar: Sports is an inseparable part of life and it brings unity, brotherhood and harmony in society, said Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi while attending the 16th Tata Steel Friendship Cup Football Tournament-2026 organized at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar today.
It is worth mentioning that a friendly football tournament was organized at Kalinga Stadium among public representatives, administrative officers, media representatives and Tata Steel on the occasion of Tata Steel Friendship Cup Football Tournament. In this tournament, Media 11 team emerged champion while Officers 11 team became runners-up.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister felicitated seven male and three female hockey players from Odisha who were part of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams that won the Junior Asia Cup Hockey 2026 held recently in China, and presented a cash award of Rs 1.25 lakh to each player.
Praising everyone’s enthusiastic participation in the friendly competition, the Chief Minister said that more important than winning or losing on the field is sportsman spirit. This game also establishes coordination among all of us. Sportsmanship and brotherhood are the foundation of a healthy society.
The Chief Minister also praised the social responsibility of Tata Steel and thanked them for organizing such a friendly tournament every year.
On this occasion, Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Rabi Narayan Naik, Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling, Industries, Skill Development and Technical Education Minister Sampad Chandra Swain, Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services Minister Suryabanshi Suraj, Chief Whip of the ruling party Saroj Kumar Pradhan, Vice President (Corporate Services) of Tata Steel D.B. Sundara Ramam and many other MLAs and media representatives were present in large numbers.
