Triple titles for tennis star
The state’s junior tennis player, Amrutjay Mohanty, bagged three titles in the All-India Championship Series Tennis Tournament that concluded at Beldih Club in Jamshedpur on July 14. Amrutjay won both the singles titles in boys’ U-14 and U-16 categories and grabbed the boys’ U-16 doubles title partnering with Ashish Sinha. In the girls’ event, Aneesha Mukherjee from Bengal lost to Ishita Jadhav (also from Bengal) by 1-6, 3-6 in the final of the girls’ U-14 singles.
Sports awards
Karateka Dillip Kumar Jena, women footballer Subhadra Sahu, sprinters Raibari Tiria, Basanti Majhi, and weightlifter Sambari Samad received awards from Mukunda Baral Memorial Trust at Jayadev Bhavan in Bhubaneswar on July 14. Sports and youth services minister Chandrasarathi Behera gave away the awards. Wrestler Govinda Chandra Jena received the Krida Prativa award. Mukunda Baral was a native of Puri and a prominent wrestler from the state.
Power play
Sixty players took part in a selection camp organised by Odisha Powerlifting Association at Utkal Karate School in Bhubaneswar on July 16. The camp was conducted to select candidates for the National Senior Powerlifting Championship to be held in Kerala from August 14 to 19. International powerlifters such as Sangita Singh, Devi Singh, Laxmimani Singh, Priyadarshan Bisoi and Rakesh Bhukta are part of the camp among 48 men and 12 women powerlifters.
Feat for coach
KIIT University and Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences felicitated Dutee Chand, Srabani Nanda and Purnima Hembram, who bagged medals in the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship, at Kalinga Stadium held from July 6 to 9. Saina Salonika of KIIT International School, who won gold in the under-14 age category in Commonwealth Chess Championship, held recently in Delhi was also felicitated. Dutee’s coach N. Ramesh, Srabani's coach Nilamadhab Deo and athlete Jauna Murmu were also felicitated.
New game
Odisha Roll Ball Association in collaboration with Odisha Skating Academy launched a new game -roll ball - at Patha Utsav (a weekly street festival) on July 16. The three-in-one game, combining roller-skating, basketball and handball, is about speed, accuracy, balancing and teamwork. A state-of-the-art sporting rink has been specially designed and developed by Bhubaneswar Development Authority in association with Odisha Skating Academy for the roll ball game within Madhusudan Park premises at Pokhariput in Bhubaneswar.
Sports meeting
The general body meeting of Odisha Bodybuilding and Fitness Association was held last week along with the election of the association members. Gouri Sankar Nayak and Pruthivraj Dash have been elected as president and secretary, respectively. The newly elected body will organise a state-level championship at Balangir in December.
