ICAR-CRRI Lifts Overall Championship at TEZ-2025 Sports Meet
ICAR–Central Rice Research Institute (ICAR-CRRI), Cuttack, emerged as the Overall Champion at the Tournament of Eastern Zone (TEZ-2025) held from 6–9 January 2026 at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. The annual sporting event was hosted by the ICAR–Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (ICAR-CIFA).
The four-day tournament witnessed enthusiastic participation from 24 ICAR institutes across the Eastern Zone, including the strong ICAR Head Quarters (New Delhi) contingent, with over 720 athletes competing in a wide range of sports and athletic disciplines. Demonstrating outstanding consistency and competitive spirit, ICAR-CRRI topped the leaderboard with an impressive 119 points to clinch the Overall Championship Trophy, while ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi, secured the Runners-up position.
ICAR-CRRI dominated several events, winning Championship titles in Kabaddi, Volleyball (Shooting), 100×4 Relay Race (Women), Carrom Singles, and Carrom Mixed Doubles. The institute further strengthened its medal tally by finishing as Runners-up in Football, Cricket, Volleyball (Smashing), Badminton Singles (Women), and Carrom Singles (Women).
Excellence in athletics added further distinction to CRRI’s performance, with Dr. Amit Kumar Dash being adjudged Best Athlete (Men) and Ms. Nupur Choudhury receiving the Best Athlete (Women) award for their stellar performances on the track.
The championship triumph reflects ICAR-CRRI’s strong emphasis on sportsmanship, teamwork, and holistic development, complementing its distinguished scientific contributions. The success of the contingent was achieved under the able leadership and motivation of Dr. G. A. K. Kumar, Director, ICAR-CRRI, Cuttack; Dr. Pratap Bhattacharyya, Head, Crop Production Division and Chairman (Sports); and Shri V. Ganesh Kumar, Senior Administrative Officer, whose coordinated efforts inspired the team to excel.
Shri Rishi Kant Singh served as the Chief de Mission and played a pivotal role in steering the CRRI contingent to the top podium. The team’s participation and logistics were efficiently managed by Shri Subodh Sahoo, Shri Munael Mohanty and Shri Satyabrata Nayak as Team Managers. Notably, Shri Prashant Kumar Jena, Sports Secretary of the Institute, was also nominated as the Central Observer for TEZ-2025.
The stellar performance at TEZ-2025 further reinforces ICAR-CRRI’s reputation as a powerhouse in the ICAR sports circuit and marks yet another proud milestone in the institute’s journey.
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