Khel Vikas athletes excel in Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan

Rajiv Gandhi Khel Abhiyan (RGKA) Games Block Level, formerly known as the Panchayat Yuva Khel Krida Abhiyan (PYKKA) took place on the 12th and 13th of December at Koushak High School, Hugulapata. A total number of 62 athletes from the Khel Vikas Project at Gram Vikas High School, Kankia travelled to the competition to participate in a wide range of track and field events.

Athletics

The first athletics competition of the season began with a traditional opening ceremony with a number of schools competing from kukubakhandi block. The eager audience lined up along the sidelines to watch the athletes seal their fate. The first race finished and celebrations occurred as Munna Nayak secured the first gold medal of the day in the 100m. Phillip Sabar came a close second and gained a respectable silver medal.

Munna Nayak achieved his first gold of the day!

The girls dominated the track and field events, Babita Mallik securing gold and Ranjulata Mallik collecting silver in the 100m. Mallik also achieved gold in long jump, and Meri Sabar showed innate athletic ability and was awarded the gold in high jump.

Ranjulata Malik jumping for gold

In the afternoon, Nayak gained another gold, and Niranjan Badaraita put in a convincing performance which resulted in a silver medal for the 800m race. Furthermore, the boys showed their all-around athletic finesse as they dominated the field events. Nayak added another gold to his collection,while Niranjan Badaraita claimed silver and Phillip Sabar gained bronze. Sushant Sabar displayed effortless performances as he won the 1500m and the 3000m in a considerably faster time than all of his opponents.

The light faded away and the relay was postponed until the next day. However, this allowed the boys to get some well deserved rest and ready to win the next day. The dream team was made up of Niranjan Badaraita, Phillip Sabar, Sushant and Ganga Sabar and they finished in first position to win another gold. The khel vikas coach Rohan was delighted with his athlete's efforts and is confident about their chances in the next stages of the competition.

Kho-Kho, Weightlifting & Volleyball

The results were similar on second day of the competition as the girls played a thrilling game of Kho-Kho. The captain of the Kho-Kho team Ranjulata Mallik played a crucial role to win another gold medal. Pro Sport Development was selected to host the weightlifting at the Khel Vikas Centre of Excellence. The Khel Vikas athletes displayed a consistently high level of performance throughout the day. Nine out of the 15 athletes received a gold medal and will be advancing into the next stage of the competition. The volleyball boys team fought hard to win the gold medal and their khel vikas coach, Swarnak was delighted with their performance.

Coach Swarnak and Coach Rohan celebrating with the volleyball boys!

Overall, it was an incredible two days and the results highlight the fantastic work done by athletes and all of the coaches involved, and the statistics emphasise this point. From a total of 62 athletes participating in the event 50% of these athletes achieved a gold medal and have qualified to district level. We would like to thank Koushak High School, Hugulapata for hosting the athletics part of the event, and look forward to the next stages of the competition.