BALCO Celebrates the Dreams of Young Athletes on National Sports Day
30th August 2025
Balconagar, 30th August 2025: In the heart of Korba, the Priyadarshini Indra Stadium pulses with the energy of young athletes chasing their dreams. More than just a sports facility, it has become a symbol of aspiration and discipline for the region’s youth. Operated by BALCO – a Vedanta Aluminium company – under the supervision of Nagar Nigam Korba, the stadium has transformed into a multi-sport training facility where young talent thrives with every practice session.
At the core of this transformation is Khel Academy, launched in August 2024 with 20 carefully selected students – 10 boys and 10 girls. Today, it is home to more than 100 residential and day-boarding athletes aged between 10 and 17, training in football, volleyball, basketball, and swimming. The academy’s vision is simple yet profound: To provide young athletes with the right environment, coaching, and care to help them grow as sportspersons and confident individuals.
Speaking about Khel Academy, Neha Pandey, the Academy Administrator shared, “BALCO wanted to build a culture of discipline, resilience and all-round growth. Today, seeing how far our players have come, I can say this dream is taking shape beautifully.”
The academy’s impact is already visible. Its athletes have made their mark at the district, state and national levels. Footballers Bishal Saw and Nikhil Bareth earned spots on the Chhattisgarh State team, while the volleyball teams dominated district and divisional level games. These victories are milestones in a journey of grit and growth.
“Representing the national team is more than a dream come true, it is the reward of every early morning practice, every drop of sweat, and dedication. To wear the jersey, play basketball for Khel Academy, and represent my country is an honor that pushes me to believe in my own journey. I look forward to representing the academy in Ludhiana, Punjab,” Dilip Yadav, a National level basketball player expressed.
Shreyansh Sahu, a National level volleyball player added, “Every practice session pushes me to be better. Winning district championships gave me and my team the belief that we can rise higher and compete with the best at the National stage.”
The girls of Khel Academy have proven themselves to be fierce competitors and inspiring role models, excelling across every sport they represent. The girls football team clinched first place at the District School Games Federation of India (SGFI).
Nishita, bronze medalist, DAV Nationals, says, “Before joining Khel Academy, swimming was just a hobby. I never had access to a pool or proper coaching. Here, I found the right training, support and platform. Medals inspire me, but the real victory lies in becoming stronger and more confident every day.”
Behind the scenes, a dedicated support system ensures that every athlete receives holistic care – from physiotherapy and medical attention to balanced nutrition and modern infrastructure.
Dr. Vikas Nanda, a physiotherapist at BALCO’s Khel Academy said, “In sports, wear and tear is inevitable but recovery and resilience decide how far an athlete can go. My role is to ensure that every young player not only heals from injuries but also builds the strength to prevent them. At Khel Academy, we provide physiotherapy, medical care, balanced nutrition, professional coaching, modern training infrastructure, and secure residential facilities. This holistic support system allows our players to train fearlessly, recover quickly, and perform at their best. We are not just treating athletes; we are preparing champions who are ready to represent the nation.”
On National Sports Day, these stories from BALCO’s Khel Academy remind us what focused effort, community support, and belief can achieve. BALCO stands proud in empowering these young athletes to shine.
About BALCO:
Bharat Aluminium Company (BALCO) is a subsidiary of Vedanta Limited, operating a 0.57 million tonne per annum aluminium smelter in Korba, Chhattisgarh. It is part of Vedanta’s Aluminium Business, a division of Vedanta Limited, which is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium, i.e., 2.42 million tonnes in FY25. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 2nd in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2024 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow. For more information, please log on to www.balcoindia.com
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Disclaimer:
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” – that is, statements related to future, not past, events. In this context, forward-looking statements often address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “should” or “will.” Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For us, uncertainties arise from the behaviour of financial and metals markets including the London Metal Exchange, fluctuations in interest and or exchange rates and metal prices; from future integration of acquired businesses; and from numerous other matters of national, regional, and global scale, including those of a political, economic, business, competitive or regulatory nature. These uncertainties may cause our actual future results to be materially different than those expressed in our forward-looking statements. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil
& Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver,
Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa, Namibia, and
Australia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building.
Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong
focus on health, safety, and environment. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is
focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. Under the aegis of Vedanta Cares, the
flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars have been set up as model anganwadis focused on
eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with
skill development. Vedanta and its group companies have been featured in Dow Jones
Sustainability Index 2020, and were conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020,
CII Environmental Best Practices Award 2020, CSR Health Impact Award 2020, CII National
Award 2020 for Excellence in Water Management, CII Digital Transformation Award 2020, ICSI
National Award 2020 for excellence in Corporate Governance, People First HR Excellence Award
2020, ‘Company with Great Managers 2020’ by People Business and certified as a Great Place
to Work 2021. Vedanta’s flagship Nand Ghar Project was identified as best CSR project by the
Government of Rajasthan. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the
National Stock Exchange in India and has ADRs listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
