Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The Volleyball Federation of India (VFI) has overwhelmingly chosen Dr. Achyuta Samanta, the founder of KIIT and KISS, as its chief patron. On the fringes of the 72nd Senior National Volleyball Championship, VFI had its annual General Council meeting in Varanasi, where the decision was made. On Sunday, the championship was opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Due to previous engagements, Odisha Volleyball Association President Dr. Samanta was unable to attend the meeting. When the VFI president and general secretary called him, he agreed to be Chief Patron. Samanta was appointed for a four-year term by VFI due to his longstanding and noteworthy contributions to sports, especially volleyball.
The General Council also approved KIIT as host of the National Youth Volleyball Championship. VFI congratulated Dr Samanta for being conferred the prestigious Grand Cross Award by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), and also being appointed as a member of the FIVB Volleyball Foundation Council. Samanta, who served as VFI president from 2020 to 2024, conveyed his gratitude to the federation’s president Virendra Kanwar, general secretary Ramanand Chaudhury and all members.
