UAIL’s Stakeholder Friendship Cricket Tournament inaugurated by SP Swathy:Kalahandi wins Title, Rayagada emerges Runner-up in Final Match
Rayagada (Badal Tah): Rayagada SP Swathy S Kumar, IPS graced Utkal Alumina International Limited’s(UAIL) Stakeholder Friendship Cricket Tournament as Chief Guest. Other dignitaries present included Naveen Chandra Nayak ADM, Rayagada, Bishnu Prasad Patra, ASP, Ramesh Kumar Padhi, DSO, Kalahandi and Mahananda, District Culture Officer. Senior company officials including Rabi Narayan Mishra, Unit Head, Utkal Alumina, Mazhar Beig, Head, Aditya Birla Refinery, Dr. Bibhudatta Mahapatra, Vice President, Corporate Communications, Bijaya Kumura, Functional Head, HR and Mr.Koushik Sharan Mishra, VP Aditya Refinery were also present to encourage the teams and celebrate the spirit of sportsmanship.
Utkal Alumina, a unit of Hindalco Industries of the Aditya Birla Group, organized a one-day Stakeholder Friendship Cricket Tournament 2025 at the Township Sports Ground in Oshapada, Tikiri, Rayagada district. The event witnessed enthusiastic participation from various teams representing district administration, police, paramilitary forces and Utkal Alumina employees. Teams included the Rayagada Collector XI, Kalahandi District Administration XI, Rayagada SP XI, CRPF XI and two teams from Hindalco Industries (Utkal Alumina and Aditya Alumina combined).
In the opening match, Hindalco XI batted first and scored 67 runs in 10 overs. CRPF XI successfully chased down the target, defeating Hindalco XI to register their first win. The second match saw a face-off between the senior Hindalco XI and Rayagada Collector XI. Winning the toss and opting to bat, Hindalco scored an impressive 98 runs for 4 wickets. However, the Collector XI chased down the target losing just 3 wickets. The third match between Rayagada SP XI and Kalahandi XI was a tight contest. Despite a spirited performance from both sides, Kalahandi XI secured a win, showcasing excellent form.
Another high-voltage match was played between CRPF XI and Collector XI. Collector XI set a daunting target of 114 runs. CRPF XI, however, collapsed under pressure, managing only 47 runs and losing all wickets, resulting in a 67-run defeat. The final match between Kalahandi XI and Collector XI was the highlight of the tournament. Collector XI, having won the toss, opted to bat but was restricted to a modest 54 runs by the disciplined bowling attack of Kalahandi XI. In response, Kalahandi XI comfortably chased the target, losing just 4 wickets, and emerged as the champions of the Stakeholder Friendship Cricket Tournament 2025.
The tournament was successfully coordinated by Mr. Pitambar Behera, General Manager, Corporate Affairs & Public Relations along with members of company’s sports committee, under whose supervision the entire event was organized.
