Sundargarh duo reach Solve for Tomorrow Top 40 with AI sports tool
Two young innovators from Sundargarh, Odisha, have reached the national Top 40 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 with their AI-powered ParaSync platform for para‑athlete performance analysis.
Two young innovators from Sundargarh, Odisha, Vatala Harika and Ritesh Routray, have secured a place in the national Top 40 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 with their AI‑powered platform ParaSync, which uses computer vision to analyse smartphone‑recorded para‑athlete performances. The duo, aged 21 and 20, developed the tool to address limited scouting and evaluation opportunities for para‑athletes outside major sporting centres. Their achievement highlights the growing contribution of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities to India’s innovation landscape.
More than half of the national Top 40 teams in this year’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow are from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, underscoring how innovation is spreading beyond traditional metropolitan hubs. For Odisha, the selection of Harika and Ritesh from Sundargarh illustrates how young people in the state are applying technology to address local gaps in access and opportunity. Their project ParaSync brings together AI and sport to explore ways for promising para‑athletic talent to gain visibility outside established scouting networks.
What is ParaSync and how does it work?
ParaSync is an AI‑powered platform that uses computer vision to analyse smartphone‑recorded videos of para‑athlete performances. The system evaluates movement and sporting technique to generate insights that can help coaches and scouts assess athletes remotely. By enabling video uploads, it aims to create an additional pathway for para‑athletes to gain visibility without needing to travel to major sporting centres. The idea falls under the Sport & Tech theme of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow.
Why did the Sundargarh duo develop this solution?
Vatala Harika and Ritesh Routray noticed that specialised scouting and evaluation for para‑athletes remain limited outside established sporting centres. This gap motivated them to explore whether technology could help promising para‑athletes get noticed. The initiative aligns with broader efforts to improve access and inclusion in India’s sporting ecosystem.
What happens next in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition?
The Top 40 teams, including Harika and Ritesh’s, will enter a 10‑day Innovation Bootcamp at FITT‑IIT Delhi, receiving intensive mentorship from startup founders and industry experts. During the bootcamp they will also visit Samsung R&D Institute India sites in Delhi, Noida and Bangalore, Samsung Design Delhi and the company’s Regional Headquarters in Gurugram. After the bootcamp, teams will compete for a place in the Top 20, which receives further support to strengthen their solutions ahead of the Grand Finale. At the programme’s conclusion, four winning teams will collectively receive incubation grants worth INR 2 crore and incubation support from FITT‑IIT Delhi.
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Who are the two innovators from Sundargarh who reached the national Top 40 of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026?
The innovators are Vatala Harika, aged 21, and Ritesh Routray, aged 20, both from Sundargarh, Odisha.
What is ParaSync and how does it work?
ParaSync is an AI‑powered platform that uses computer vision to analyse smartphone‑recorded videos of para‑athlete performances, evaluating movement and technique to help coaches and scouts assess athletes remotely.
What problem prompted Harika and Routray to create ParaSync?
They identified limited access to specialised scouting and evaluation for para‑athletes outside established sporting centres and sought a technological solution to help promising para‑athletes get noticed.
What stage of the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition have the Sundargarh duo reached?
They have reached the national Top 40 of the fifth edition of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026.
What benefits do the Top 40 teams receive in the Samsung Solve for Tomorrow programme?
The Top 40 teams participate in a 10‑day Innovation Bootcamp at FITT‑IIT Delhi, receive mentorship from startup founders and industry experts, and visit Samsung R&D sites in Delhi, Noida, Bangalore, Samsung Design Delhi and the Gurugram headquarters.
What is the prize for the winning teams at the end of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026?
Four winning teams will collectively receive incubation grants worth INR 2 crore and incubation support from FITT‑IIT Delhi.
Ansuya Minz
Senior District Correspondent, Sundargarh
Ansuya Minz has covered Sundargarh district for six years, reporting on the steel belt's industry, tribal welfare policy, and the Rourkela sports ecosystem. She is based in Rourkela.
View all articles by Ansuya →
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