Lanjigarh, 25.04.2025: Olympian and celebrated archer Rahul Banerjee has taken on a new role—not as a competitor, but as a mentor on a mission. Partnering with Vedanta Aluminium, Banerjee is now channeling his decades of experience to nurture tribal archery talent in Odisha’s Kalahandi district, an area he describes as “a goldmine of potential.”
Banerjee, who has won over 50 international accolades including a gold medal and clinched the national title eight times, is lending his expertise to train more than 80 aspiring archers from tribal backgrounds. “The passion and raw skill here is incredible,” he said. “With structured training, these youths can become India’s next champions.”
This initiative, launched by Vedanta in 2018, has grown into a full-fledged grassroots sports development programme. Equipped with infrastructure, gear, and expert coaching, the young archers of Lanjigarh are already making headlines—bagging over 40 medals in state and national championships just last year.
Vedanta Aluminium’s COO, Rajiv Kumar, noted, “Rahul Banerjee’s involvement elevates our vision of holistic community development. Sports, especially archery, is proving to be a powerful medium to inspire change and open up new futures for our youth.”
From the shooting range to the world stage, Rahul Banerjee is now shaping lives, proving that the legacy of a champion is not just measured by medals, but by how many others they help rise.
