Odisha won in their inaugural bowling matches

Odisha competitors started strongly on Friday at the first National U-18 and sixth U-25 Lawn Bowls Championships at R N Singhdeo Stadium in Bolangir. Jayashankar Patel, Subhranshu Dang, Seema Munda, Rajeshwari Seth, and Roshani Sahu secured impressive singles victories, setting a positive tone for the home state. In mixed doubles, Sandeep Sahu and Rashmi Dandasena won their opening match, while Shikha Podh advanced via walkover. Only Anshuman Bag faced an early setback. Sixteen teams from across India are participating in this four-day sporting event. Bolangir has increasingly become a hub for regional sports development over recent years, frequently hosting state-level tournaments.

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Superintendent of Police Abilash G and former athlete Prachi Tehlan attended the inaugural ceremony. Various sports officials, including Indian Bowling Association Treasurer Krishanveer Singh Rathi and Tournament Director Dr. Anju Luthara, were also present to encourage participants. During this ceremony, officials felicitated Odisha Sports Journalists Association secretary Tapan Kumar Swain for his contributions. Odisha State Bowling Association secretary Sumit Ranjan Purohit is directly coordinating the entire championship.