The All India Inter University Cycling (Men & Women) Championship and the East Zone Inter University Cricket (Women) Championship 2025 were grandly inaugurated on 9th March 2025 at the Minati Mohapatra Cycling Velodrome, KISS Campus 4. The event, organized under the aegis of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU), New Delhi, is being hosted by KIIT & KISS, Bhubaneswar, with the Support of Cycling Federation of India, Odisha Cycling Association and Odisha Cricket Association from March 9 to 13, 2025.
The opening ceremony witnessed the presence of distinguished personalities from the world of sports and academia. The Chief Guest, Prof. Achyuta Samanta, Founder of KIIT, KISS & KIMS, graced the occasion along with Guest of Eminence Ms. Minati Mohapatra, the first Arjuna Awardee from Odisha in cycling and President of the Odisha Cycling Association. The Vice Chancellor of KISS Deemed to be University, Prof. Debashis Bandyopadhyay, delivered the welcome address, setting the stage for an inspiring start to the championships.
Shri Anil Kumar, Observer from AIU for the Cycling Championship, and Shri Sudam Rokade from the Cycling Federation of India, also addressed the gathering, emphasizing the significance of university-level sports in nurturing future champions. The event was further held by the presence of Shri Prasanna Rout, Secretary of Odisha Cycling Association, and Dr. Gaganendu Dash, Director General, School of Sports and Yogic Sciences.
The inauguration of the championships took place at the Minati Mohapatra Cycling Velodrome, India’s first-ever 250-meter concrete cycling velodrome, named in honor of Ms. Minati Mohapatra, who created history as Odisha’s first Arjuna Awardee in cycling. The Velodrome was inaugurated earlier on January 9, 2025, by Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Hon’ble Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Government of India. This is the 1st National Cycling championship after the inauguration of velodrome organized by KIIT & KISS. A total of 41 universities participated in the All India Inter University Track Cycling (Men & Women) Championship 2025, with 400 participants, including players and officials. Additionally, 20 universities took part in the East Zone Inter University Cricket (Women) Championship 2025, with 250 participants, including players and officials.
Prof. Achyuta Samanta felicitated Shri Anil Kumar and Shri Sudam Rokade, acknowledging their contributions to cycling. The ceremony also celebrated the achievements of international cycling champions Swasti Singh and Rejia Devi from KIIT University. From cricket, rising stars Shravani Paul from Visva-Bharati University, along with Laxmipriya, Kuni Bhadra, and Barsha Rani from KIIT University, and players from Ranchi University, were honored for their remarkable performances on national and international platforms.
In recognition of his unwavering commitment to sports development, the Cycling Association of Odisha felicitated Prof. Achyuta Samanta with a memento, appreciating his tireless efforts in promoting sports and athletes at KIIT & KISS.
All the distinguished guests on the dais extended their best wishes to the participants, encouraging them to showcase their best performances in the championship.
East Zone Inter University Cricket (Women) Championship – Opening Day Result:
The first match was played between KIIT University and Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. KIIT University won the match by 10 wickets.