Visakhapatnam: The much-awaited annual DRM CUP Inter-Departmental Sports Mela-2025 will be organised by the East Coast Railway Sports Association of Waltair this April, scheduled from April 8 to April 30. The Sports Mela’s inauguration ceremony will be held on April 8 at 8 am at the Waltair Railway Stadium.

Railway employees from various departments will compete in 12 events, with 7 events specifically for male employees. A total of 19 teams will participate, including staff from locations such as Araku, Damanjodi, Koraput, Kirandul, Bacheli, Rayagada, Palasa, and Srikakulam. The primary aim of the initiative is to foster sportsmanship and identify talented individuals for inclusion in the ECoRSA Sports Team.

Divisional Railway Manager and president of the Eco, Railway Sports Association, Lalit Bohra, along with ADRM (Operations) Manoj Kumar Sahoo, sports officer Pravin Bhati (Senior DME), joint sports officer B Avinash Narendre Kuri DME and general secretary of ECoRSA, Reddy Srinivasa Rao, unveiled the event poster here on Friday.

Departments participating in the sports meet include, medical dept., operating, engineering, commercial, electrical, mechanical, personnel, construction, telecom, mechanical, safety and stores departments.

The competitions will be held across various sports, including, football, volleyball, athletics, weightlifting, table tennis, bodybuilding, lawn tennis, shuttle badminton, ball badminton, chess, carrom, and cricket.

For women, table tennis, weightlifting, volleyball, shuttle badminton, athletics, chess, carrom, cricket, and tug of war will be organised.