Bhubaneswar: Taking a serious note of a viral video showing young wrestlers travelling near toilet in the train, the Odisha government on Tuesday said it has sought a detailed report from the Director of Secondary Education on the incident.
Issuing a clarification on the video showing the wrestlers facing hardship during their train journey while returning from Uttar Pradesh, the School and Mass Education department said 18 young wrestlers and 4 teachers went to the 69th National School Games in Wrestling (Free Style) U-17 Boys & Girls Championship at Ballia in UP.
The clarification comes after a video showing the young wrestlers travelling near the train toilet went viral on social media, triggering widespread outrage and raising questions over the treatment of student athletes.
The department said tickets for the 18 wrestlers and four teachers were booked in a 3-tier AC coach on November 20, 2025, for their onward journey to Ballia and return to Bhubaneswar. However, despite all efforts, the return tickets could not be confirmed.
The students and teachers subsequently travelled by the Nandankanan Express and requested the travelling ticket examiner (TTE) to allot any available berths. Acting on the request, the TTE provided 10 berths near Hinjili, Kolkata, it said.
The department further said during the current year, a total of 385 players under its supervision have travelled outside Odisha to participate in 19 national-level competitions, bringing laurels to the state.
To prevent such incidents in the future, the department said it has decided to hold a coordination meeting with railway authorities, the SME department added.
