This week, the state powerlifting team set off to Bhilai to display their strength. Chess players Sidhant Mohapatra and Smaraki Mohanty won acclaim by emerging champions in Jatni. The state football league games are on in full swing and a cricket team comprising 21 members has been sent to compete in Australia. The Telegraph takes a look at sporting events that marked the week.

Show of strength

The Orissa squad for the National Senior Powerlifting Championship set off for Bhilai on Sunday. The event began on Monday. Among women, Mandakini Mahanta and Sangeeta Singh will be representing the state, while Pradeep Patra, Nilamani Sahu, Shaktiranjan Barik, Deepak Kumar Sethi, Rupanara Singh, Goutam Arajuar, Sidheswar Pradhan, Chittaranjan Mishra and Santosh Kumar Barik are participating in the men’s category. Coach Bikram Kumar Swain and manager Kishan Behera accompanied them to the event.

Chess tourney

The state-level Under-13 chess championship organised by Jatni Chess Forum on behalf of All-Orissa Chess Association concluded on Monday. Sidhant Mohapatra emerged champion in the open category, while Smaraki Mohanty claimed the girls’ title at the championship held at Centurion University of Information Technology in Jatni. In the nine-round open category, Rajesh Santy emerged first runners-up. In the girls’ category, Akankhya Kabi secured the second position after seven rounds. The top players from the event will represent the state at the 25th National U-13 Chess Championship, which will be held in October in New Delhi

Cricket down under

The Orissa Cricket Association (OCA) has sent a team of 21 players to Australia on an exposure tour. This is the first time that OCA is sending its team comprising few Ranji, Under-19 and Under-22 cricketers from the state to tour Down Under from August 19 to September 10. “The tour will certainly be helpful for the players to develop their style and techniques to play positive cricket,” said OCA secretary Ashirbad Behera. All rounder Biplab Samantaray, who had led Orissa in the East Zone T-20 and Katak Barabati Tigers in the recently concluded Orissa Premier League, is the captain for the Australia tour. The Orissa squad will be playing two ODIs and four T-20 matches against New South Wales. Similarly, the team will also play two-day and three-day matches against Queensland and Sydney University. According to captain Samantaray, the team is a balanced side with experienced and young cricketers who will certainly perform well in the tour. The Australia tour has been planned keeping in mind the upcoming domestic tournaments of BCCI starting from October. “A lot of youngsters, including Aravind Singh and others, have performed well in the ongoing Buchi Babu All-India Invitational Tournament at Chennai. The team is also likely to participate in the All-India S.K Acharya Memorial Challenger Trophy Tournament, which will be hosted by the Cricket Association of Bengal in September,” said Behera. Besides this, there is also a proposal to send the Under-19 team to Madhya Pradesh and Sri Lanka in subsequent periods.

It’s football time!

Football season seems to be at its peak in the state as a number of leagues are on simultaneously. At the ongoing super league stage of the First Division Football League on at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack and organised by Football Association of Orissa (FAO), Rising Students Club and Radhagobinda Club got a walk over against Morning Club and Sunshine Club respectively on Monday. On the other hand, the relegation matches have been cancelled. In the FAO Women’s Football League, also on at Barabati Stadium, there were three matches held on Monday. The match between Mangala Club and Radharaman Club ended in a goalless draw while Morning Club and Sunrise Club scored one goal each in their match. In another match, Chand Club defeated Sunshine Club 1-0. Also, the 9th Bhubaneswar Football League organised by the Bhubaneswar Athletic Association kick-started on Monday. Meanwhile, the 21st Kalinga Marine Bibeknanada Inter-school football tournament is on in full swing at the Unit 6 High School ground. Football fans in the state are also cheering the selection of women players from the state by the All India Football Federation for the forthcoming India senior women’s coaching camp scheduled to be held at SAI Centre, Lucknow. The senior India women’s team will then proceed to Bahrain for an international exposure tour from 18th September. Md. Saheed Jabbar has been appointed as chief coach for the Senior India Women’s Football Team. The selected players are Sita Sharma, Swarnamayee Samal, Rashmita Patra, Alochana Senapati, Bijay Laxmi Sahu, Suprava Samal, Supriya Routray, Manisha Panna, Lochana Munda, Jabamani Soren, Pinky Bompal Magar and Sasmita Malik.

Badminton championship

The Orissa State Badminton Association has announced that it will hold the state senior and junior championship from September 6. The event will be held at Kshetrarajpur in Sambalpur district and for both boys’ and girls’ categories. The event will conclude on September 9

Sports awards

The Ashok Patnaik Memorial Sports Awards, 2011, was held last week in Bhubaneswar. Sub-junior national snooker champion Ashutosh Padhy was awarded best sportsperson for the year. Archery coach Rajesh Hasdak and Veer Hanuman Circus and Physical Institute, which has produced champions like weightlifter Ravi Kumar, were given the best coach and best sports organisation awards respectively.