Subrat Mohanty
Sambalpur 07/09: A city based sports organisation, Meher Association donated Rs 10 lakh to the Gangadhar Meher University (GMU) for development of sports infrastructure of the institution. The money has been donated under the Mo College/University Abhiyan.
Established in 1965, the Meher Association boasts a rich history of sports excellence. The association had also carved a niche at the national and state level in football. The organization has seen many players rise to prominence, representing the state and nation in football. It also played an instrumental role in making the football popular in Sambalpur by organising an annual one-day football tournament from 1984 to 2017. Moreover, it had also played an instrumental role in bringing legendary hockey player, Dhyan Chand to Sambalpur, leaving an indelible mark on the city’s sporting history.
The cheque of the donation amount was handed over to the vice-chancellor of GMU, N. Nagaraju by the founder president of Meher Association, former MP, Bhabani Sankar Hota in presence of other senior members Biraja Sankar Hota, Jyogendra Narayan Misra, Kali Charan Bishi, Panchanan Pasayat and Hrusikesh Panda on Tuesday evening.
“Many players of the Meher Association have represented the state and country. And the field at G.M. College (Now G.M. University) had the contribution in achieving the success. We practiced and played on the varsity field. Moreover, all the members of the Meher Association are also alumni of the institution. We are indebted to the institution. We had always harboured a wish to do something for the university. And hence, we decided to donate some funds which can be utilized for the development of sports infrastructure of the University,” said 71-year-old Biraja Sankar Hota, who is general secretary of the Meher Association now.
Deputy Registrar of the varsity, U.C. Pati said, as per the mandate of the Mo College/University Abhiyan, a matching grant will be sought from the government, equivalent to twice the amount donated by the alumni. The entire amount will be spent for the development of a mini sports complex in the varsity.
