Bhubaneswar: The 26th Youth National Volleyball Championship 2025–26 (Men & Women) was inaugurated today at the Biju Patnaik Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, KIIT Deemed to be University, marking a historic moment for Indian volleyball.
The prestigious championship is being jointly organised by the Odisha Volleyball Association (OVA) and KIIT Deemed to be University under the aegis of the Volleyball Federation of India (VFI).
The tournament will be held from March 15 to 20, 2026.
The inaugural ceremony was graced by Achyuta Samanta, Chief Patron of the Volleyball Federation of India, Founder of KIIT, KISS and KIMS, and President of the Odisha Volleyball Association, who formally declared the championship open.
Among the distinguished guests present on the occasion were Virender Kanwar, President of the Volleyball Federation of India; Ramanand Choudhary, Secretary General of the Volleyball Federation of India; Gaganendu Dash, General Secretary of the Odisha Volleyball Association and Director General, Sports & Yoga, KIIT & KISS; and Jnyana Ranjan Mohanty, Registrar of KIIT University.
Several dignitaries from various State Volleyball Associations and many volleyball legends also attended the ceremony.
On this occasion, Achyuta Samanta felicitated Virender Kanwar and Ramanand Choudhary for their outstanding contributions to the development of volleyball in India.