Cuttak, (Correspondence): ICAR-Central Rice Research Institute (ICAR-CRRI), Cuttack, has been declared the overall champion in the Eastern Zone Sports Meet (TEZ-2025) held at the famous Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar from January 6 to 9, 2026. The annual sports meet was organized by ICAR-Central Research Institute of Freshwater Fisheries (ICAR-CIFA). Over 720 players from 24 ICAR institutes of the Eastern Zone enthusiastically participated in various sports and arts events in the four-day sports meet. With excellent performance and consistent success, ICAR-CRRI topped the standings by scoring 119 points and won the overall champion trophy. ICAR Headquarters, New Delhi was declared the runners-up. ICAR-CRRI won the championship titles in Kabaddi, 100×4 relay (women), Carrom singles and Carrom mixed doubles. It also won the runners-up positions in Football, Volleyball (Shooting), Volleyball (Smashing), Badminton singles (women) and Carrom singles (women).
In further recognition of ICAR-CRRI’s achievements in sports, Dr. Amit Kumar Dash was adjudged the best player in the male category and Smt. Nupur Chaudhary was adjudged the best player in the female category. This champion victory highlights the sportsmanship, team spirit and forward-thinking approach of ICAR-CRRI towards all-round development, which goes hand in hand with the research excellence of the institution. The leadership and motivation of Dr. G. A. K. Kumar, Director, ICAR-CRRI, Cuttack; Dr. Pratap Bhattacharya, Head and Chairman (Sports), Crop Production Division; and Shri V. Ganesh Kumar, Chief Administrative Officer played a key role in this success. Shri Rishi Kanta Singh played a key role in taking the ICAR-CRRI team to the top by discharging his duties as the Chief of Mission. Similarly, Shri Subodh Sahu, Shri Munel Mohanty, Shri Prashant Jena and Shri Satyabrata Nayak, as team managers, handled the logistics and participation smoothly. This strong and remarkable performance at TEZ-2025 has re-established ICAR-CRRI as a strong powerhouse in the ICAR sports family and added another proud milestone in the institution’s journey.
