Bhubaneswar: Governor of Odisha, Dr Hari Babu Kambhampati, felicitated two young athletes — Prem Munda and Rajkumar Munda — from the Jindal Foundation’s Wushu Training Program in Barbil at a special ceremony held on Wednesday at Raj Bhawan, Bhubaneswar. These young athletes recently represented India at an international Wushu championship held in Moscow, Russia, and won gold medals in the men’s 48 kg & 52 kg, showcasing not only their talent but also the power of focused grassroots sports development.
Both Rajkumar and Prem are living in the Jindal Sports Hostel at Barbil and are being holistically nourished by the Jindal Foundation with everyday expert sports coaching, food, customised nutrition, clothing, education, health care and other facilities – those needed for a sportsperson to grow and compete on global platforms.
Expressing her gratitude to the Governor for felicitating the young athletes, Shallu Jindal, Chairperson of the Jindal Foundation, said, “This is a moment of immense pride for all of us. These young boys from Barbil have not only demonstrated excellence in sport but have proven that talent, when nurtured with the right support, can shine on the world stage. Their achievements echo our belief that rural India holds unlimited potential, waiting to be empowered.”
Prashanta Hota, President and Group Head, CSR & Education, Jindal Steel, said, “Inspired by the vision of Chairman of Jindal Steel and Member of Parliament, Naveen Jindal, our Wushu training programme aims to transform lives and instill confidence, discipline, and global competitiveness in youth in the hinterland. These medals from Moscow are not just sporting wins — they are victories of inclusion, opportunity, and empowerment. Jindal, himself, is an iconic sports person of our country and has been our flame of inspiration for fostering inclusive improvement in the Human Development Index in our country. We in the Jindal Foundation, under the leadership of Shallu Jindal, are walking an extra mile every day to nourish and nurture such hidden talents of our country in various fields of excellence.”
The Governor congratulated Prem and Rajkumar for their hard work and passion for martial arts and appreciated the consistent patronage of nurturing young talent through sustained training, mentorship and support.
The Governor encouraged continued focus on grassroots sports to foster the spirit of nation building and bring pride for the nation.
Jindal Foundation, through its integrated sports development initiatives, has been actively promoting athletic talent in rural and tribal regions across India. From martial arts like Wushu to athletics, football, and archery, the Foundation supports more than thirty thousand young athletes by providing access to professional coaching, infrastructure, nutrition, and exposure to competitive platforms.
The Foundation also runs a sports hostel for tribal children at Barbil, Odisha, providing state-of-the-art residential facilities to sixty selected children from the locality to excel in sports and education. Several players from this hostel have won medals in national and international wushu tournaments. These efforts align with the Foundation’s vision of empowering youth, fostering discipline, and building stronger, healthier communities through the transformative power of sports and making India future-ready to shine in the global forum of sports and athletics.
