BJP National VP Baijayant Panda inaugurates all-India football tournament in Bhubaneswar

BJP National VP Baijayant Panda on Sunday inaugurated the All-India Gandarpur Cup Football Tournament that began at Gandarpur on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar, drawing wide participation from across the country.

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Attending as the Chief Guest, the Kendrapara MP graced the occasion and encouraged the players. A total of 40 football clubs from both urban and rural areas have entered the tournament, reflecting strong grassroots enthusiasm for the sport.

Adding to the tournament’s national character, two clubs from Kolkata and Jharkhand are also taking part in the competition. Mahakalapada MLA Durga Prasan Nayak and several other dignitaries were also present at the opening ceremony.

Organised by the Youth Sports Club, Gandarpur, the football tournament aims to promote sporting talent and competitive spirit among young players. The matches will continue until the 21st of this month, with large local crowds expected to witness the sporting action over the coming days.

“Initially, the All-India Gandarpur Cup Football Tournament was started with eight teams. Now, it has around 40 participating teams. The tournament was then being held among urban areas, which subsequently included the rural areas as well,” the sports outfit president, Gyana Ranjan Rout, expressed.

“Gradually, many other teams requested us to take part in the event. Our ‘A’ division had around 16 teams. Keeping in mind the growing interest among football teams, we again introduced the ‘B’ division,” Gyana Rout stated.

“As of date, there are three divisions. The winning teams, separately for the urban and rural segments, will be given a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh each, and runner-up teams will be given a cash prize of Rs 75,000 each,” the sports outfit president added.