Bhubaneswar: The 26th Youth National Volleyball Championship 2025–26 (Men & Women) concluded today at the Biju Patnaik Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, KIIT Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar. The championship witnessed exceptional performances from teams across the country, but it was Odisha that emerged as one of the biggest highlights of the tournament with its best-ever performance in the history of any National Volleyball Championship.
Both the Odisha men’s and women’s teams had already created history by entering the semifinals for the first time. Continuing their impressive run, the Odisha men’s Team secured the bronze medal by defeating Delhi in the 3rd/4th position match, marking a proud achievement for the state.
The Odisha women’s Team also delivered a commendable performance and finished among the top four teams in the country after a hard-fought campaign, eventually finishing in 4th position following their match against Haryana. In the women’s final, Kerala delivered a dominant performance against Tamil Nadu and secured a convincing 3–0 victory with set scores of 25–16, 25–19, and 25–14 to clinch the championship title. The men’s final witnessed a thrilling contest between Punjab and SAI, where Punjab staged a remarkable comeback after losing the first two sets to win the match 3–2 with scores of 21–25, 21–25, 25–15, 25–22, and 15–13. To recognise excellence and encourage players, prize money of Rs 30,000 for champions, Rs 20,000 for runners-up and Rs 15,000 for third position was announced.
In addition, special cash prize of Rs 75,000 for the Odisha Men’s Team and Rs 50,000 for the Odisha Women’s Team were announced in appreciation of their historic and outstanding performance. Prof Samanta congratulated both teams for bringing pride to the state and extended his best wishes for their future endeavours. The Closing Ceremony was held in the presence of distinguished dignitaries, officials, and sports enthusiasts.
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