Over 500 Athletes from Five Divisions Compete in Hockey, Yoga, and Gatka from September 9–12
Published on: 09 September, 2025
By: BTNI
Location: Rajnandgaon, India
The 25th State-Level School Sports Competition, organized by the Chhattisgarh School Education Department and hosted by the District Education Department, Rajnandgaon, was inaugurated today at the International Astroturf Hockey Stadium.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Mayor Madhusudan Yadav extended greetings and best wishes to all participants, emphasizing the importance of sports in shaping discipline, confidence, and national pride. He encouraged athletes to showcase their best talent, stating: “Play well, study hard, and move ahead in life.”
More than 500 athletes and officials from five divisions—Surguja, Bilaspur, Raipur, Durg, and Bastar—are taking part in the four-day competition. Events include Hockey (Boys and Girls Under-19), Yoga (Boys and Girls Under-14, 17, 19), and Gatka (Boys and Girls Under-17, 19).
Highlighting the uniqueness of the event, the Mayor spoke about Gatka, a traditional Sikh martial art involving stick and shield techniques, which has gained recognition as a national sport by the Government of India in 2021. He expressed hope that Gatka would eventually find a place on international sporting platforms such as the Olympics.
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He further assured that all facilities for athletes had been carefully arranged, with proper coordination to ensure a memorable experience. He also acknowledged the contribution of former Chief Minister and Assembly Speaker Dr. Raman Singh for gifting the city its International Hockey Stadium and credited Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai’s leadership for promoting sports infrastructure and athletes’ welfare in the state.
Competitions are being held at multiple venues: Hockey at the International Astroturf Stadium, Gatka at Digvijay Stadium’s Basketball Indoor Hall, and Yoga at Kamaladevi Rathi Women’s College Indoor Hall.
The inaugural event featured vibrant cultural performances by students of Dr. Padumlal Punnalal Bakshi School and a Yoga demonstration by students of Gayatri Vidyapeeth.
The ceremony was attended by social workers Komal Singh Rajput, Firoz Ansari, Ravi Sinha, Raja Makhija, Sumeet Singh Bhatia, Amrita Sinha, Rajendra Jain, District Project Officer (Literacy) Rashmi Singh, along with organizing committee members, public representatives, education and sports officials, athletes, trainers, and coaches.
