NIT Rourkela Hosts and Inaugurates All India Inter NIT Sports Meet 2024-25

Rourkela  — The National Institute of Technology(NIT), Rourkela today inaugurated the All India Inter NIT Sports Meet 2024-25 with great enthusiasm at the Dilip Tirkey Stadium located at the campus. This prestigious event marks the start of a three-day sports competition (18th-20th October 2024), bringing together 26 NITs from across India. Over 600 athletes are competing in two major sports disciplines: Football (Men’s Category) and Lawn Tennis (Men’s and Women’s Categories).

The football matches for are being held across three prominent stadiums in Rourkela to ensure a smooth and well-coordinated event. These include the Birsa Munda Athletic Stadium, the Ispat Stadium and the Dilip Tirkey Stadium-NIT Rourkela. Meanwhile, all Lawn Tennis matches, for both men’s and women’s categories, are taking place at the P.T. Usha Sports Complex at NIT Rourkela campus. The sports meet will conclude with the final football match, followed by the valedictory ceremony, scheduled for 7:00 PM on 20th October 2024 (Sunday) at the Birsa Munda Athletic Stadium located at Birsa Chowk.

At the commencement of the inaugural event today, Prof. Rajeev Kumar Panda, President of the Student Activity Centre at NIT Rourkela, extended a warm welcome to all attendees. He noted that NIT Rourkela has been entrusted with hosting the Football and Lawn Tennis competitions for this inter-NIT sports meet, with 26 out of 31 NITs participating. He emphasized the diversity of participants, with teams all parts of the country, and expressed his hope that each participant would leave with cherished memories of NIT Rourkela.

Inaugurating the event, Prof. K. Umamaheshwar Rao (Director, NIT Rourkela) stated, “This is your opportunity to expand your world by getting to know each other, forging new friendships, and, of course, giving your best in every match. Whether you win or lose, it’s important to reflect, make improvements, and come back stronger. I wish all of you great success and good health throughout the tournament.”

The Guest of Honour Mr. Sudipta Kumar Naik, {Odisha Administrative Services (OAS) and Deputy Director of Sports, Rourkela} addressed the audience, saying, “I warmly welcome all the NIT students, faculty, and staff to the city of Rourkela. As the sports administration and custodian of the sports facilities in this region, I encourage you to explore the impressive sports infrastructure we have here. I’m certain you will take away fond memories of both the tournament and the city. I wish you all an enjoyable stay and the very best in your competitions.”

Prof. Niranjan Panda, Dean of Student Affairs at NIT Rourkela, inspired the participants by highlighting that the true victory in such tournaments lies in the collective efforts and self-discovery of the teams. He emphasized that the participants serve as ambassadors for all students who are keen to stay fit and engage in sports.

Prof. Rohan Dhiman, Registrar of NIT Rourkela, expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ashutosh Kulkarni, Commissioner of Rourkela Municipal Corporation, Guest of Honour Mr. Sudipta Kumar Naik, the local administration, and the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) administration for providing the facilities at Birsa Munda Athletic Stadium and Ispat Stadium. He noted that hosting several matches in these national and international-level stadiums was intended to promote and showcase Rourkela’s world-class sports infrastructure.

Mr. Vijay K. Mishra (Student Activity and Sports Officer at NIT Jalandhar and observer of the tournament) expressed his appreciation to the organizing team and administration of NIT Rourkela for ensuring a comfortable stay and providing a supportive environment for all players. The Vice Presidents of the Games and Sports Society at NIT Rourkela, Prof. Mohd Khalid Gul and Prof. Venkata R. Naik, alongside Mr. C. Alagesan (Student Activity and Sports Officer), played a pivotal role in organizing the event.

The All India Inter NIT Sports Meet 2024-25 is seeing the participation of 26 NITs from across the country. These include MANIT Bhopal, NIT Agartala, NIT Andhra Pradesh, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, NIT Calicut, NIT Delhi, NIT Durgapur, NIT Hamirpur, NIT Jaipur, NIT Jalandhar, NIT Jamshedpur, NIT Kurukshetra, NIT Manipur, NIT Meghalaya, NIT Mizoram, NIT Nagaland, NIT Nagpur, NIT Patna, NIT Puducherry, NIT Raipur, NIT Rourkela, NIT Silchar, NIT Suratkal, NIT Trichy, NIT Warangal, and SVNIT Surat.

Prof. Mohd Khalid Gul being the convenor of the tournament concluded the event with a vote of thanks.