69th State-Level School Games kicks off in Jalandhar

The 69th State-Level School Games, Judo Under-17 (Boys/Girls), competition was inaugurated at the School of Eminence, Ladowali Road, by Chief Guest Dr Gurinderjit Kaur, District Education Officer (DEO) and National Award winner, along with Special Guest Rajeev Joshi, Deputy District Education Officer (Dy DEO) and State Awardee.

The event began with Joshi inaugurating the tournament by releasing balloons. He interacted with players and coaches from various districts and extended best wishes for their matches.

Dr Gurinderjit Kaur encouraged players to compete with sportsmanship and dedication, aiming to make the nation proud at the international level. She highlighted the important role coaches play in shaping students into skilled athletes and responsible citizens through a game like judo, which also promotes self-defense.

Special Guest Rajeev Joshi added that officials from the host district had made proper arrangements for accommodation and food for both players and coaches, as per official guidelines.

On the occasion, Principal Harmesh Lal Ghera, Senior Vice President of the District Tournament Committee, said that several players trained at the Judo Hall of School of Eminence, Ladowali Road, have represented the country internationally.

International Referee and General Secretary of the Judo Association Punjab, Lecturer Surinder Kumar, informed that the winners of this tournament will get a chance to represent the state in the 69th National School Games Judo competition.

District Sports Coordinator Amandeep Kondal congratulated the athletes for their excellent performances. Tournament arrangements were reviewed by Coordinator Principal Yogesh Kumar and Principal Sukhdev Lal Babbar.

In the boys' 81 kg weight category, Avinash Mattu of Gurdaspur secured the first position, Sarwan Singh of Hoshiarpur stood second, while Jasnoor of Sri Amritsar Sahib and Saksham Garg of Bathinda shared third place.

In the 90 kg weight category, Rohit of Patiala bagged first place, Raghav of Pathankot came second, while Prabhjot of Gurdaspur and Khushpreet of Mansa jointly finished third.

Referees for the day's matches included Asha Rani, Uma Dutta, Dinesh Kumar, Rajni, Pawan Kumar, Naresh Kumar, Sulinder Singh, Suresh Kumar and Sudhir Kumar. The competitions were conducted under the supervision of Surinder Pal Singh.