THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, OCTOBER 30, 2026

Odisha's sport climbing talent received a major boost as four local athletes qualified for the National Championship following an impressive performance at the IMF East Zone Climbing Championship 2026, which concluded here on Friday with athletes from the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) ecosystem clinching 53 of the 54 medals on offer.

Organised by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) at the Odisha TSAF Climbing High-Performance Centre (HPC), in association with the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS), Government of Odisha, and the TSAF Climbing Academy, the championship marked a significant milestone in the state's efforts to establish itself as a competitive sport climbing destination.

Of the 53 medals won by TSAF athletes, 48 were secured by the Climbing Academy participants, while athletes from the Odisha TSAF Climbing HPC claimed five medals, underlining the growing strength of the foundation's grassroots and high-performance training programmes.

The achievement is particularly significant for the Odisha HPC, established in 2024, as four of its athletes have qualified for the National Championship this year, compared to just one qualifier from the state over the preceding two years.

Among the Odisha HPC medal winners, Subhransu Sekhar Mahunta clinched silver in bouldering and bronze in lead, while Rajendra Nayak secured bronze in bouldering. Swati Behera won bronze in speed, and Dusmanta Kumar Hembram added another bronze in the lead category.

Commenting on the championship, Mukul Vinayak Choudhari, Chief -Sports, Tata Steel Limited, said such competitions provide young climbers with an opportunity to showcase their abilities, develop confidence and aspire for greater achievements.

"We remain committed to nurturing emerging talent and helping athletes from eastern India progress to the national stage and beyond," he said.

Expressing his excitement over the achievement, Subhransu Sekhar Mahunta said the competition had been a personal test of courage and perseverance.

"Successfully emerging out of it feels life-altering. I thank the organisers for helping athletes strive for excellence," he said.

TSAF has been contributing to the development of sport climbing in India since launching its programme in 2015. Through structured coaching, specialised training infrastructure and competitive exposure at its academies in Jamshedpur and Bhubaneswar, the foundation has been working towards creating a strong pipeline of climbing talent.

Its initiatives include hosting the IFSC Asian Kids Climbing Championships in 2022 and 2023, the IFSC Asian Youth Climbing Championship in 2024, besides organising six editions of the Tata Steel Sport Climbing Championship.

The concluding ceremony was attended by Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Odisha Department of Sports and Youth Services Bhupendra Singh Poonia, Director Yeddula Vijay, Special Secretary Ashok Kumar Panda, Additional Secretaries Bijay Kumar Swain and Sudhakar Naik, and Debdas Nandy, Advisor, Mountaineering, Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of West Bengal.

Representing Tata Steel and its group companies were Padmapal, Managing Director, Neelachal Ispat Nigam Limited (NINL); Ravi Marik, Chief, Corporate Services, Kalinganagar, Tata Steel; and Mohit Das, Chief Resident Executive, Bhubaneswar, Tata Steel, among others.