Footballer Bhaichung Bhutia Mentors Young Athletes at BALCO’s Khel Academy in Korba
5th February 2026
- Shared insights on discipline and technique while engaging with over 100 young athletes
New Delhi, February 5, 2026: Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (BALCO), India’s iconic aluminium producer and a unit of Vedanta Aluminium, hosted former Indian football captain and Arjuna and Padma Shri awardee Bhaichung Bhutia at the Khel Academy in Korba. The visit marked a significant milestone in BALCO’s ongoing efforts to strengthen district-level sports ecosystems by providing young athletes with access to role models, structured training, and exposure to high-performance sporting paradigms. The engagement focused on mentoring and inspiring young talent, bringing together over 100 athletes and highlighting the importance of technique, discipline, and consistency in building a sustained sporting career.
BALCO established Khel Academy in 2024 as a residential and day‑boarding sports training centre to nurture young talent in football, basketball, volleyball, and swimming. The academy was launched through a Memorandum of Understanding between the Korba Municipal Corporation, the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Korba, and BALCO, reflecting a strong multi‑stakeholder commitment to youth development. Equipped with world‑class infrastructure, NIS‑certified coaches, sports science support, physiotherapy and medical care, and a structured nutrition programme offering six balanced meals a day, the academy currently trains 100 athletes from Korba, Durg, Bilaspur, and Raipur. In a short span, it has become a prominent training hub, with its athletes delivering notable performances at state and national competitions.
Bhaichung Bhutia was welcomed by district officials, Ashutosh Pandey (Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Korba), Dinu Patel (District Sports Officer), and Vinay Mishra (Upper Commissioner) along with BALCO’s senior management.
Addressing the young athletes, Mr. Bhutia said, “It is encouraging to see such a strong focus on grassroots sports development at the Khel Academy, supported by quality infrastructure and structured training. To every aspiring sportsperson, never let the size of your city define the scale of your dreams. Many who have gone on to represent India started their journeys in small towns, driven by discipline, resilience, and belief that outweighed circumstances. You now have access to professional guidance and facilities, what lies ahead depends on how hard you work and how much you believe.”
Highlighting the importance of exposure, Ashutosh Pandey noted, “Sports are a powerful medium to channelise the energy of youth into purpose and discipline, and build character to shape focused individuals who contribute meaningfully to society. Through this visit in Khel Academy, our intent is to sensitise and empower young talent, enabling their holistic development.”
Sharing her experience, Sugandhit Lakra, a 17-year‑old football trainee at Khel Academy, said, “Meeting Bhaichung sir was very motivating for all of us. He spoke about hard work, consistency and enjoying the sport and it made me feel more confident about pursuing sports seriously. It was the first time many of us interacted with a national icon, and it has inspired us to train even harder.”
Speaking on the occasion, Rajesh Kumar, CEO & Director, BALCO, said, “At BALCO, we view sports as an essential component of holistic development. Structured training environments such as Khel Academy are designed to improve performance while providing young athletes with the right guidance and direction. Our broader social impact efforts focus on enabling children and youth to dream bigger, and platforms like this help translate those aspirations into opportunities. Interactions with accomplished sportspersons like Bhaichung Bhutia reinforce this vision by showing our athletes what dedication and perseverance can achieve at the highest levels.”
Looking ahead, Khel Academy plans to continue hosting such mentoring and empowerment sessions with renowned sportspersons, with the next engagement scheduled to focus on archery, further expanding exposure and opportunities for young athletes across disciplines.
Beyond the academy, BALCO drives a wide spectrum of community development initiatives, including promoting sports at the grassroots level through sports kit distribution featuring equipment for Badminton, Hockey, Cricket, Football, Basketball, and Volleyball across various communities. The company strongly believes that holistic development is a shared responsibility, one that rests with organisations, government institutions, and local communities working together. Through sustained investments in youth empowerment and sporting infrastructure, BALCO continues to contribute to a stronger, healthier, and more aspirational ecosystem for the region’s young athletes.
About Vedanta Limited:
Vedanta Limited, a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading Oil & Gas and Metals company with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, and Aluminium & Power across India, South Africa and Namibia. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector. Vedanta is committed to reducing carbon emissions to zero by 2050 or sooner and has pledged $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate the transition to net zero operations. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company’s flagship social impact program, Nand Ghars, have been set up as model anganwadis focused on eradicating child malnutrition, providing education, healthcare, and empowering women with skill development. Under the aegis of the Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, the Vedanta group has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on social impact programmes with a thrust on nutrition, women & child development, healthcare, animal welfare, and grass-root level sports. Vedanta and the group companies have been featured in Dow Jones Sustainability Index, and was conferred Frost & Sullivan Sustainability Awards 2020, Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2022. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.
For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com
About Vedanta Aluminium Business:
Vedanta Aluminium, a business of Vedanta Limited, is India’s largest producer of aluminium, manufacturing more than half of India’s aluminium i.e., 2.37 million tonnes in FY24. It is a leader in value-added aluminium products that find critical applications in core industries. Vedanta Aluminium ranks 1st in the S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment 2023 world rankings for the aluminium industry, a reflection of its leading sustainable development practices. With its world-class aluminium smelters, alumina refinery and power plants in India, the company fulfils its mission of spurring emerging applications of aluminium as the ‘Metal of the Future’ for a greener tomorrow.
For more information, please log on to www.vedantaaluminium.com
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