Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], May 3 (ANI): Odisha's Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Suryabanshi Suraj, reiterated the state government's strong commitment to grassroots sports and athlete support at the 2025 AIFF Awards Day held in Bhubaneswar.

The minister emphasised Odisha's continued investment in infrastructure and talent nurturing.

'We felicitated sportspersons and coaches who performed well,' he told the reporters.

He further announced a major development initiative aimed at expanding access to sporting facilities across Odisha.

'We will build sports complexes in 314 blocks of Odisha,' Suraj stated, underlining the government's long-term vision for sports infrastructure.

Reiterating the goal of producing world-class athletes from the state, Suraj added, 'The state government is committed to ensuring that good sportspeople emerge from the state who will represent India at the national and international level.'

Subhasish Bose and Soumya Guguloth were named the AIFF Best Men's and Women's Players of the Year 2024-25 on the AIFF Awards Day in Bhubaneswar on Friday. The award function was held in the Odisha capital on the eve of the Kalinga Super Cup 2025 final.

Among the dignitaries present along with AIFF President Kalyan Chaubey, were Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, Deputy Chief Minister, Odisha, Suryabanshi Suraj, Minister, Higher Education, Sports and Youth Services, Odia Language Literature and Culture, Bhaskar Sarma, IAS, Principal Secretary, IAS, Sports and Youth Services Dept, Govt of Odisha, Manoj Ahuja, IAS, Chief Secretary, Govt of Odisha, and Tankadhar Tripathy, President, Football Association of Odisha.

Members of the All India Football Federation's top brass, including the Executive Committee, and representatives from the respective state Member Associations were present at the awards, according to the AIFF media release.

Apart from Bose and Guguloth, the other individual award winners were Khalid Jamil (Best Men's Coach), Sujata Kar (Best Women's Coach), Vishal Kaith (Best Men's Goalkeeper), Elangbam Panthoi Chanu (Best Women's Goalkeeper), Brison Fernandes (Promising Men's Player), Toijam Thoibisana Chanu (Promising Women's Player), Venkatesh R (Best Male Referee), Tekcham Ranjita Devi (Best Female Referee), Vairamuthu P (Best Male Assistant Referee), and Riiohlang Dhar (Best Female Assistant Referee). (ANI)