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In a major push to strengthen the state's sports ecosystem and grassroots talent development, the Odisha Government's Sports and Youth Services Department has provisionally selected 25 junior coaches across 12 sports disciplines. The recruitment marks the first such coaching appointment exercise in the state since 2016.
The recruitment process was initiated in 2025 to fill 38 vacant coaching positions across 16 disciplines. Following a structured selection process, 25 candidates have been selected so far, including nine women coaches, in a move aimed at strengthening Odisha's athlete development framework. The selected coaches will serve in disciplines including athletics, hockey, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, gymnastics, football, basketball, table tennis, fencing, kabaddi and kho-kho. The initiative is expected to improve access to quality coaching, identify emerging talent at the grassroots level and create a stronger pathway for athletes to progress to national and international competitions. Among those selected are Chinmaya Ranjan Jena, Ashish Kumar Pradhan, Jhilli Barik, Shahid Jamil Rizvi and Anjana Mukhi for athletics; Sujit Lakra, Prafulla Tirkey, Rajesh Oram, Hrushikesh Lakra and Reshma Lakra for hockey, and Sachin Raut, Laxman Chetty and Kiran Kumari Digal for weightlifting. Coaches have also been selected for football, basketball, gymnastics, kabaddi, table tennis, fencing, wrestling and other disciplines. The state government said the appointments form part of its broader strategy to strengthen Odisha's sporting infrastructure and establish the state as a leading sports hub. The move comes amid continued efforts to expand sports development, talent identification and high-performance training programmes across Odisha. (ANI)
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