The Odisha Cricket Association (OCA) organised a swimming competition for trainees at the state-of-the-art international standard swimming pool of OCA Club on August 15 to mark Independence Day. About 200 swimming trainees from different age groups, both boys and girls, who started taking swimming classes six months ago, took part in this competition. About 500 people were present during the competition. They included participants, guardians of the trainees, office-bearers and members of the association. The competitions were held in 25 metres and 50 metres freestyle for under-14, under-8 and under-10 boys and girls.

Chess moves

The KISS Chess Academy was inaugurated on the Kalinga Institute of Social Science campus in Bhubaneswar on August 15. The All-Odisha Chess Association will be hosting workshops and championships for the benefit of the tribal chess players here.

On the other hand, the 2nd Keshabanada Das Memorial All-India Chess Festival is on at Hotel Seetal in Bhubaneswar.

Organised by the Khurda District Chess Association under the aegis of the All-Odisha Chess Association, the festival features two tournaments, one each for players above and below 2,000 Elo ratings. Around 250 players from all over the country are taking part in the event.

Bronze haul

A 94-member squad from the state finished overall third with a haul of 51 medals and 332 points at the 25th East Zone Junior Athletics Championship, which concluded at Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi last week.

Odisha won 10 gold, 23 silver and 18 bronze medals.

Bengal emerged overall champions with 714 points, while host Jharkhand finished second with 529 points. Odisha boys emerged the under-14 group champions with 30 points.

Sibling power

Cuttack boy Asif Haque won both in men’s and youth boys’ categories at the 21st YGTTA All-Odisha Open Table Tennis Tournament, which concluded at Sachin Tendulkar Indoor Hall, Barabati Stadium, in his home town. He defeated elder brother Tousif in the men’s singles final 4-1.

Bhubaneswar siblings Samartha Prusty and her younger brother Krishan clinched the women’s singles and sub-junior boys’ crowns respectively. Bhagyashree Mohapatra (Khurda), Sripad Nayak (KIIT), Ankita Senapati (Bhubaneswar), Anjali Agarwal (Bhubaneswar) and Bikash Singh (Rourkela Steel Plant) won the five other singles titles in cadet girls, cadet boys, sub-junior girls, junior girls and junior boys categories, respectively.

The lone doubles (junior boys) title went to the Cuttack pair of K. Kartik and M. Ishwar Rao. The three-day tournament was organised by Young Generation Table Tennis Association, under the auspices of Odisha State Table Tennis Association.

Cuttack glory

Cuttack District men and Cuttack Sadar women emerged champions in the Independence Cup All-Odisha Sepak Takraw Tournament, which was organised by Odisha State Sepak Takraw Association at Barabati Stadium recently.

In the finals, Cuttack District men defeated Cuttack Sadar, while Cuttack Sadar women got the better of Dhenkanal.

As many as 10 teams in the men’s category and six in the women’s group took part in the one-day tournament. Cuttack District Sepak Takraw Association president Bijaya Kumar Samal gave away the prizes at the closing event.

Rugby challenge

The Odisha State Rugby Team is going to Srinagar to take part in the All-India Senior National Sevens Tournament to be held there from August 23 to 25.

The Odisha rugby team members include Gouranga Jamuda, Bukai Hansdah, Barial Beshra, Niranjan Biswal, Muna Murmu, Roshan Xaxa, Ranjan Kumar Sahu, Kumar Rakesh Srichandan, Somanatha Hembram and Manas Kumar Jena, the captain. Prasan Kumar Sahoo is the coach and the manager is Dhiren Kumar Rout.