Bhubaneswar: In an institutional push to dismantle barriers between rural talent and professional sports the Odisha Sports and Youth Services Minister Shri Surjyabanshi Suraj has formally launched the CM Trophy Championship.
The launch event was characterized by a sense of moral urgency regarding the state’s sporting future. Prominent officials in attendance included Ekamra MLA Shri Babu Singh, Sports and Youth Services Secretary Shri Sachin Ramachandra Jadhav, and Director Dr. Yedula Vijay.
This championship is positioned not merely as a tournament but as a foundational milestone in the structural transformation of Odisha’s grassroots sports landscape.
This systemic initiative aims to operationalize the Field to Podium vision through a multi-tiered selection framework designed to extract and elevate grassroots potential into the national and international sporting ecosystem.
The state-led program addresses long-standing infrastructure gaps by providing a standardized competitive platform for young athletes. To ensure technical precision and socio-legal compliance the tournament will be executed in direct collaboration with state-level sports associations. The department has strategically prioritized four traditional and high-engagement disciplines:
- Football (Under 15 years)
- Volleyball (Under 14 years)
- Kabaddi (Under 16 years)
- Kho-Kho (Under 14 years)
By mandating separate divisions for both boys and girls the government is asserting a policy of gender parity and inclusive participation. The tournament architecture is built on a hierarchical selection process moving from grassroots trials to district zonal and finally state-level championships. This layered causality ensures that advancement is strictly merit-based and geographically comprehensive.
A critical window for aspiring sportspersons opens tomorrow as registration for the CM Trophy commences on January 7 and concludes on January 14 2026. The selection intensity at the district level is high with ten teams slated for the boys category and six for the girls category based on rigorous merit assessments.
Quantitatively the scale of this intervention is massive with an estimated participation of 32,000 young athletes and approximately 500 teams from across the state. To maximize visibility and operational efficiency the championship is divided into two distinct phases: Phase 1 will span January and February while Phase 2 begins in May. The pinnacle of the competition—the semi-finals and finals—is scheduled for May 2026.
Functionally the state sports associations will manage the technical granularities including registration trials and the appointment of technical officers. Simultaneously the Sports and Youth Services Department will oversee the macro-level planning and logistical management of the event.