DEPUTY Chief Minister and Sports and Youth Welfare Department Minister Arun Sao, has said that State Government will provide all possible help to Kabaddi player Sanju Devi of Korba district. Sanju Devi brought immense honour to State and Country by leading India to victory in the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup 2025 held in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

 

India defeated Chinese Taipei with a score of 35-28 in the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup final. Hailing from Kerakachhar village, the 23-year-old Sanju Devi was honoured with the prestigious Most Valuable Player (MVP) title for her outstanding performance. Sanju alone contributed 16 points to India’s score in the final match, showcasing her central role. Her exceptional play in the semifinals and other matches also contributed significantly to India’s championship.

 

This achievement is particularly noteworthy as Sanju Devi is the first Kabaddi player from Chhattisgarh to represent the country at the international level. Sanju Devi’s success is not limited to the World Cup; she also played a crucial role in India becoming champion at the Asian Kabaddi Championship in Iran in March 2025. Sanju, who trained at the Bahtarai Residential Girls Kabaddi Academy in Bilaspur (run by the Sports and Youth Welfare Department), is now an inspiration nationwide.

 

She has been training at the academy since July 2023. Her journey, from a small village to a world champion in two international tournaments, highlights the power of dedication and hard work. The Deputy Chief Minister speaking at the press conference highlighted the State’s commitment to sports, noting the training facilities at the Late B.R. Yadav State Training Centre in Bahtarai with 38 girls for Kabaddi, 35 boys and 38 girls in Hockey, 14 boys and 14 girls in Archery, 12 boys and 7 girls in Athletics.

 

Sao affirmed the Chhattisgarh government’s commitment to promoting sports, providing necessary infrastructure and preparing players for national and international competitions. Speaking at the press conference, Sanju Devi credited the constant support from the Sports and Youth Welfare Department for her success. The highest number of adoptions in recent years was recorded in 2024-25 with 120 infants finding families- 105 in-country and 15 in inter-country.

 

Dr Ramsharan Chouksey, Programme Manager of CARAChhattisgarh said that 1182 registered prospective adoptive parents are waiting for adoption as of October 2025. However, only little numbers of children are currently available for adoption. It may be mentioned here that, when infants below two are abandoned, efforts are made to trace parents within two months, while for older children the tracing period extends to four months.

 

Children which are surrendered by parents are given a 60-day window for reclamation after which the adoption process can proceed. A majority of these cases involve unwed mothers and teenage pregnancies those registered under the POSCO Act.