Raipur . The district-level Surguja Olympics concluded in Balrampur under the chief patronage of Shri Ramvichar Netam, Minister of Tribal Development, Agricultural Development and Farmers Welfare. Organized by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department from February 10th to 12th at the sports ground of Swami Atmanand Hindi Medium School in Balrampur, the three-day event witnessed a remarkable blend of enthusiasm, skill, and energy among sports talent.

The Surguja Olympics, being organised for the first time in the state, is providing a good platform to rural and urban players to display their abilities and sports skills. Tribal Development Minister Shri Ramvichar Netam, who reached Balrampur for the closing ceremony of its district level event, reached among the players and encouraged them. He reached the venue of the girls' tug of war competition being held between the teams of Shankargarh and Balrampur and boosted their morale by introducing himself to the participants. He also watched the archery competition and encouraged the players by trying his hand at archery himself. He presented shields and medals to the winning participants.

In his address at the conclusion of the district-level Surguja Olympics, Mr. Netam said that the well-planned and systematic organization of the Surguja Olympics, from the development block to the district level, is commendable. The Surguja Olympics is becoming a powerful platform for honing sports talent. He underscored the importance of this opportunity, especially for the youth of tribal areas, saying that such events allow young people to showcase their talents, build self-confidence, and provide direction for progress. He encouraged the participating athletes to practice regularly and excel at the divisional and state levels.

Balrampur Collector Mr. Rajendra Katara, Superintendent of Police Mr. Vaibhav Banker, CEO of Zila Panchayat Mrs. Nayantara Singh Tomar, Divisional Forest Officer Mr. Alok Vajpayee, Member of Backward Class Commission Mr. Krishna Gupta, President of Red Cross Society Mr. Omprakash Jaiswal, Municipal Council President Mr. Lodhiram Ekka, Vice President Mr. Dilip Soni, District Education Officer Mr. M.R. Yadav and District Sports Officer Mr. Marcus Kujur along with officers of the concerned departments, public representatives, players and sports lovers were present in large numbers at the closing ceremony.

In Surguja Olympics, players from all 32 development blocks of Surguja division are showcasing their sports skills in 12 games. These include 5 individual events and 7 team games. Individual events include athletics (100, 200, 400 meter race, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus throw, javelin throw, 400 meter relay), archery (Indian round), badminton, wrestling and karate. Team games include football, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, volleyball, tug of war and basketball. All the competitions are being organised in junior category (14 to 17 years, boys/girls) and senior category (above 18 years, men/women).