Athletes vie for gold at sports meet

The 50th two-day annual athletics meet was inaugurated at Indira Gandhi National College, Dhanora-Ladwa, Kurukshetra, on Tuesday.

Devender Saini, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Anti-Riot Cell, New Delhi, as the chief guest at the event, emphasised the importance of sports in shaping the future of the youth. “The youth are the future of the country. Sports not only leads to physical and mental development, but also instils discipline, teamwork and leadership qualities,” he said.

He urged students to embrace sports along with their academic pursuits, stressing that dedication and honesty should be the guiding principles of student life.

He expressed concern over the negative impact of mobile video games on young people’s health.

He encouraged students to engage in physical activities instead of playing video games.

Principal Dr Kushal Pal highlighted the importance of participating in sports with the true spirit of sportsmanship, regardless of the outcome.

“Victory and defeat are both part of the journey, pushing us towards new goals,” he said.

He talked about the broader life lessons sports imparted — such as unity, hard work and discipline. On this occasion, Dr Kuldeep Singh, Head, Physical Health Education Department, commended Tapasya, a second-year student, for winning multiple gold medals at national and international competitions.

Various competitions — including 100-m race (men’s), discus throw (men’s), 50-m race (women’s), 100-m race (women’s), javelin throw (women’s), long jump (women’s) and high jump (women’s) — were organised on Tuesday at the sports meet.