Prabeer Tiwari Shines Bright: From Barbil’s Indoor Stadium to SAI Bhubaneswar

Barbil, Keonjhar — In a proud moment for Odisha’s mining town of Barbil, young badminton talent Prabeer Tiwari, a Class VII student of Jindal School, Soyabali, has earned selection into the prestigious Sports Authority of India (SAI) Eastern Region Badminton Hostel, Bhubaneswar. His journey from local training to national-level recognition reflects the growing impact of sports infrastructure in mining-affected regions.

Prabeer’s training began two years ago at the Multipurpose Indoor Stadium located at Birsa Munda Chowk, Barbil, constructed under the OMBADC (Odisha Mineral Bearing Areas Development Corporation) scheme at a cost of ₹5 crore. The stadium was built to promote health, fitness, and youth development in areas impacted by mining activities. It houses facilities for gym, yoga-zumba, badminton, volleyball, and kabaddi, and currently supports 30 children and 50 adult players in regular practice. Training sessions are held daily from 6:00 AM to 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM to 8:00 PM, with Monday as the weekly off.

Under the guidance of appointed badminton coach Avtar Singh, Prabeer honed his skills with discipline and dedication. Coach Singh remarked, “Prabeer has talent, focus, and a hunger to learn. With advanced coaching at SAI, I’m confident he’ll soon represent Odisha at the state level. Barbil will be proud.”

Prabeer’s father Deepak Tiwari, a transport businessman in Barbil, and mother Neha Tiwari, a homemaker, originally hail from Chitrada NAC, Mayurbhanj district. His elder sister Priyansha Tiwari is also training in badminton at the same stadium and has participated in district-level tournaments.

To facilitate Prabeer’s selection, Deepak Tiwari ensured his State ID registration for the 2025–26 trial held on 18–19 February 2025 at the Regional Badminton Academy, Bhubaneswar. Prabeer successfully cleared the fitness test, skill evaluation matches, and running trials at Kalinga Stadium. His academics are now supported through private tuition, and he attends school only for examinations.

Barbil’s Multipurpose Indoor Stadium has become more than just a sports facility—it is a launchpad for dreams. Prabeer’s achievement stands as a testament to what structured training, community support, and timely