TV
An All Odisha Open Carrom Championship was recently organized in Bhubaneswar to promote the traditional game, with an emphasis on attracting the youth amid the popularity of cricket across the country.
The event organised at the Old Sports Directorate Auditorium in Nayapalli saw the participation of around 180 players across the state. Among them, 40 players had previously represented Odisha at the national level.
In the team events, Khordha emerged as the champions, followed by Bhubaneswar as runners-up and Cuttack securing third place. Additionally, winners in the Men’s Singles, Doubles, and Women’s Singles categories were also awarded cash prizes along with a qualification declaration for the National Carrom Championship.
V. Akash, a national-level Carrom player laid the importance of such an event in Odisha by saying “It was very delightful to see a well-organized carrom tournament in Odisha as it will help promote the game and offer a platform for young talent to shine.”
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The championship was jointly organised by the Bhubaneswar District Carrom Association and the Odisha State Carrom Federation in memory of Sukadev Routaray and Dwarikanath Rout.
“An event of this scale is usually held only on the national level but a carrom tournament in Odisha is not only welcome but extremely necessary for the future prospects of the participants as well as all aspiring players of the state,” said Jitendra Kumar Routray, co-ordinator of the organizing committee.
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Meanwhile, the All Odisha Open Carrom Championship also served as a selection platform for players to represent Odisha in the National Carrom Championship, organized by the All-India Carrom Federation (AICF).
