Odisha sports fraternity knows it well that the Department of Sports & Youth Services (DSYS), Government of Odisha, is very fond of High Performance Centres (HPC), run by top multinational companies in the State. As per Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs), the State Government has provided infrastructure facilities to set up and run these academies.

It is a different story that most of the HPCs have failed to deliver the results they are expected to in terms of developing native talents into athletes of national or international repute. But the DSYS has gone out its way to pamper these HPCs, providing additional benefits and services, including the media publicity, spending huge amounts of taxpayers money!

But what pains the sports fraternity most is the DSYS discrimination against non-HPC athletes. For everything, starting from buying equipment to participation in competitions, non-HPC athletes spend from their pocket or depend on their families. Seeking government funding often ends in disappointment because of red-tapism.

The latest example of favouritism to the HPC athletes has come to notice with regard to the Indian Open Athletics Meet, scheduled to be held in Patna, Bihar on 19 July 2025. A total of 37 athletes from Odisha have registered their entries for the one-day competition.

But according to reliable sources, the DSYS has arranged the air travel, accommodation and local conveyance for 18 athletes and three support staff of Odisha Reliance Foundation Athletics HPC, leaving 19 non-HPC athletes to make their own arrangement. The 19 non-HPC athletes include star sprinters Amiya Kumar Mallick, Srabani Nanda and javelin thrower Kishore Kumar Jena.

Of course, being an employee of Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC), Srabani is getting all the support she deserves from the government. Since Kishore works at Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), his arrangement will not be a problem. But what about young and financially weak athletes, working hard to prove their mettle on the national stage? 

In fact, it is the non-HPC athletes who deserved the government support more than their fellow athletes from HPC. “This attitude of the government is as good as pampering the wealthy and insulting the poor,” lamented a non-HPC athlete. “Is this Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas?,” asked another neglected athlete.

LIST OF HPC ATHLETES & SUPPORT STAFF: 1. Abhinash Sahu Male, 2. Aryan Ekka Male, 3. Purnima Hembram, 4. Sukhi Baskey, 5. Bonita Lakra, 6. Astik Pradhan, 7. Mahendra Santa, 8. Bhima Sardar, 9. Pankaj Mondal, 10. Dayanidhi Munda, 11. Debasis Pattnaik, 12. Sarun Payasingh, 13. Saswat Kumar Sahoo, 14. Jashbeer Bilung, 15. Pratik Maharana, 16. Janmejaya Sahu, 17. Malay Barik, 18. Laxmi Priya Kisan, 19. Chiranjibi Kumar Nayak, 20. Kothurthi Tejeswara Surya Kuar, 21. Shweta Attili.

LIST OF NON-HPC ATHLETES: 1. Binati Behera, 2. Subham Jyoti Singh, 3. Manisha Merel, 4. Srabani Nanda, 5. Jita Patra, 6. Namit Pradhan, 7. Mousumi Roy, 8. Bishnupriya Sethy, 9. Swagat Behera, 10. Ashok Kumar Behera, 11. Alekh Kumar Jena, 12. Kishore Kumar Jena, 13. Amiya Kumar Mallick, 14. Manoj Oram, 15. Harisankar Panigrahi, 16. Sunit Paul Soreng, 17. Amit Sasmal, 8. Sai Swarup Rout, 19. Tinku Tirkey.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PHOTO: Sports promote unity, we create division!