Bhubaneswar: As many as 430 participants took part in a single volleyball game at the Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) Volleyball Festival to become part of a Guinness World Record.
This initiative was organised by the International Volleyball Federation (FIVB), Volleyball Foundation, KISS and Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT) with an eye on setting a world record for the most players in a volleyball exhibition match.
Thus the KISS Volleyball Festival made history, bringing together the highest number of players in an Indoor Volleyball Exhibition match which was held on October 4.
The record-breaking match lasted 8 hours, with the scoreline reading 756-736. Teams from the Brahmaputra Volleyball League also participated in the event.
This remarkable feat easily surpassed the previous record of 294 players, set by Association Sportive de Saint Genis Les Ollieres and the town of Saint Genis Les Ollieres (both in France) during the Téléthon 2011 on December 3, 2011.
The Festival — organised in partnership between FIVB Volleyball Foundation, KIIT and KISS — attracted over 40,000 attendees, including 5,000 young volleyball fans. The event featured 60 outdoor courts and multiple indoor venues, offering a range of volleyball activities that promoted fun and inclusivity.
This achievement marks Odisha’s first Guinness World Record in sports and India’s second in volleyball.
The country’s first record in volleyball was for the most number of serves in one minute (38), achieved by Amutha Gunasekar in Puducherry on September 22, 2021.
Thanking FIVB and its president Dr Ary S Graça F for their support, KIIT & KISS Founder Dr Achyuta Samanta said: “This record will forever remain in the name of KIIT, KISS, and first record for Odisha in the field of sports.”
