THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
LANJIGARH, FEBRUARY 21, 2026
In the quiet, undulating landscape of Kalahandi district in Odisha,
ambition often takes root in unlikely places. For Bhushan Majhi, it began on a
modest school playground and gathered momentum years later under structured
coaching in Lanjigarh.
Bhushan Majhi’s journey illustrates how targeted grassroots interventions
can begin to bridge that long-standing gap between potential and performance. A
beneficiary of the Vedanta Grassroots Sports Initiative, the young sprinter
from Lanjigarh represented Odisha and won a bronze medal in the 100 metres
(open men category) at the recently held Khelo India Tribal Games Athletics
Meet 2026, hosted at Birsa Munda Stadium, Rourkela.
Bhushan hails from a humble yet hardworking household in Bhataguda,
Lanjigarh. He is one of three siblings, raised by parents deeply rooted in
community service; his father is a school teacher, while his mother works as a
Community Resource Person and is an active member of a local Self-Help Group
(SHG). The values of discipline, perseverance and social responsibility were
instilled early in his upbringing and continue to shape his sporting journey.
Initially, his family viewed his athletic ambitions with hesitation,
uncertain whether sport could offer a viable and stable future. Over time,
however, as Bhushan’s discipline translated into measurable achievement, their
scepticism gave way to encouragement and pride. “My village is proud that
someone from here has made a name,” Bhushan says.
Bhushan’s journey did not begin on professional tracks but with a keen
observation by his school PT teacher, Dushmanta Majhi, when he was in Class 3.
Dushmanta noticed his natural speed during routine school activities and was
the first to recognise sport as a genuine pathway for the young boy. For years,
he was more than a teacher—he was a mentor who personally accompanied Bhushan
to competitions and motivated him to stay committed despite limited resources.
In the absence of structured training facilities, Bhushan relied on sheer grit,
cycling nearly seven kilometres daily to practise and playing football to build
stamina, endurance and lower-body strength.
A decisive turning point came in July 2025, when Bhushan’s raw potential
found professional direction after he joined the Vedanta Grassroots Sports
Initiative. It was here that he began training under athletics coach Samir
Munda, gaining access to structured drills, scientific conditioning methods and
appropriate equipment — resources that had previously been beyond reach.
Bhushan’s progress is also a reflection of the wider impact of the
Vedanta Grassroots Sports Initiative, a programme designed to bridge the gap
between rural talent and national platforms. By providing professional
coaching, structured training modules and access to sporting infrastructure in
remote regions, the initiative is steadily reshaping the sporting landscape of
Kalahandi and creating pathways for competitive excellence.
Reflecting on the programme’s vision, Pranab Kumar Bhattacharya, CEO – Vedanta Alumina Business, said, “At Vedanta, we believe that talent is universal, but opportunity is not. Bhushan’s journey from the trails of Bhataguda to a national podium is a testament to the transformative power of providing the right platform to rural youth. Our grassroots sports initiative is dedicated to ensuring that no spark of talent goes unnoticed due to a lack of resources. We are immensely proud of Bhushan and remain committed to nurturing more such champions who will represent India on the world stage.”
The Vedanta Grassroots Sports Initiative currently supports over 150 budding athletes across the region, creating a structured pipeline for talent identification and development. The programme has already delivered strong competitive outcomes, with 89 medals secured at the state level during the 2024–25 season, signalling the growing emergence of Kalahandi as a promising hub for grassroots sporting excellence.
