Bhubaneswar/Rourkela: In a thrilling finale at Rourkela’s iconic Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Bargarh FC edged past Bhubaneswar FC with a 3–2 victory to lift the first-ever CM Trophy Under‑15 Football Championship, marking a new chapter in Odisha’s grassroots sports development.
The month-long tournament, launched on January 16, is the state’s first grassroots-level U-15 football championship, conceptualized under the vision of Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi to identify and nurture young sporting talent across Odisha.
The championship featured a multi-tier format, with competitions held at the district level before advancing to zonal rounds across four zones—Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Keonjhar, and Berhampur—culminating in the semi-finals and today’s high-octane final.
Speaking at the final as Chief Guest, Sports and Youth Services Minister Surjyabanshi Suraj praised the initiative as a vital step in building a sporting ecosystem rooted in the grassroots. “Under Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s leadership, this championship has emerged as a transformative platform for discovering and grooming young talent from across the state,” the minister said. He further announced that the top 100 players identified from the tournament would receive specialized training to further sharpen their skills and prepare for higher-level competitions.
Looking ahead, Suraj revealed that the CM Trophy Championship would expand in the coming years to include a wider range of sports such as athletics, badminton, kho-kho, kabaddi, and hockey—further strengthening Odisha’s reputation as a rising sports powerhouse.
Also present at the event was Odisha Football Association President and Jharsuguda MLA Tankadhar Tripathy, who applauded the initiative’s broader impact. “The CM Trophy nourishes grassroots talent and sows the seeds of teamwork, discipline, and leadership among our youth,” he noted.
