Spot kicks
New Delhi-based Army-XI won the All India Kalinga Cup Football Tournament by defeating local team Bidanasi Club 5-1 at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on May 25. Suresh Metei’s goal put Army-XI in the lead in the 22nd minute, while Lalian Mawia and Ranjit Metei netted the second and third goals in the 27th and 31st minutes, respectively. After the change of sides, Arjun Tudu joined the party by scoring a brace in the 61st and 82nd minutes. Bijaya Behera of Bidanasi Club scored the solitary goal in the 88th minute. Chinmay Sekhar Behera of Bidanasi Club was declared the man of the tournament. The prizes for the best forward, midfielder, defender and goalkeeper went to Arjun Tudu, Francis Jampapa, John and Sarat Narayan, respectively. Earlier, in the semi-finals, Army XI defeated Mohammedan Sporting, Calcutta, 5-4. Seventeen teams took part in the tournament and the champions walked away with a trophy and a cash award of Rs 3 lakh.
In another development, Odisha’s Srikant Bhoi has been selected to take part in the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Under-14 Festival of Football at Dushanbe in Tajikistan. A resident of Balangir Sports Hostel, Bhoi, a defender, had represented the state in the recently concluded National Sub-Junior Football Championship where Odisha had finished runners-up.
Checkmate
The 9th KIIT International Chess Festival concluded on May 30 with Grandmaster Grachev Boris of Russia winning the title. Grandmaster Popov Ivan of Russia was the runners-up, while Rathanvel V.S. of Tamil Nadu got the third position. In the elite category, prize money Rs 10 lakh was distributed to the winning players. In the premium category, Himanshu Ranjan of Bihar won the first prize and a cash prize of Rs 50,000. In the elite category, prize money of Rs 10 lakh was distributed to the winners. In the premium category, Himanshu Ranjan of Bihar won the first prize of Rs 50,000. Two players from Odisha — Sarthak Debata and Aditya Ranjan Samal — got the second and third positions and won cash prizes of Rs 40,000 and Rs 30,000, respectively. Players from India, Bangladesh, Russia, US, Uzbekistan, South Africa, Nepal, Bhutan, Kazakhstan, Sierra Leone, Canada, Indonesia and Afghanistan took part in the tournament.
Damp squib
Salmi Kispotta bagged a bronze medal in the girls’ discus throw event at the 13th National Youth (Under-18) Athletics Championship that concluded on May 28 in Kozhikode, Kerala. She got the bronze after clearing 36.61 metres. Unfortunately, this was the only medal that a nine-member Odisha athletic team comprising three boys and six girls won at the event. Other participants included Pranjit Kujur and Biplabini Sha (both from Cuttack in the 100 and 200 metres race for boys and girls), Krishna Munda and Binkash Barwa in boys 400 metres and 400 metres hurdles, respectively. The other women athletes were Rashmita Chinhara (800 metres), Sunita Oram (1,500 metres), Carmela Barla and Sanjukta Minz (both took part in javelin throw).
Kabaddi kids
A kabaddi summer coaching camp organised by senior coach Sanhita Das for budding players concluded at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on May 29. The 20-day workshop witnessed an active participation from 70 kabaddi enthusiasts, which included 30 girls. The campers learnt the basic techniques of the game under the guidance of senior players such as Rashmita Sahu, Subhadra Mallick, Bidu Prava Swain and Sradhanjali Panda. The state government is set to host a national-level kabaddi tournament and the camp was aimed at training the young participants for the same. Players from various districts across the state took part in the camp. From next year, the government has planned to host the camp for outstation kabaddi players as well.
Cover drives
Brave Riders defeated Rising Stars in the final of the Swabhiman Premier League at the BJB Project UP School ground on May 31 by nine wickets. Jeetendra Pradhan of Rising Stars was adjudged the man of the tournament. Brave Riders entered the final by defeating Royal Warriors by four wickets. The tournament was hosted by city-based organisation Swabhiman. The matches were played between children of different slums in Bhubaneswar, which included both mainstream and differently-abled players.
Lift with pride
Twenty-five trainees, 11 girls and 14 boys in the age group of 10 to 16 years, are learning weightlifting techniques at a summer coaching camp, which began at the Berhampur Stadium on May 23. The camp will conclude on June 5. The Senior Weightlifters’ Association has been holding this camp over the last eight years in an attempt to attract more children to this discipline. International weightlifting coach Seeta Kumari Jena is training the participants. The budding weightlifters are getting hands-on training in snatch, clean jerk and squat. Several trainees from this annual summer camp have earlier brought laurels to the state at national and international meets.
