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Chandigarh’s contingent gears up for Khelo India Youth Games
A total of 130 athletes will represent Chandigarh in sports including including hockey, kabaddi, archery, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling at the fourth Khelo India Youth Games
The UT will be represented by a strong contingent comprising 130 athletes at the fourth edition of the Khelo India Youth Games, scheduled to get underway at various venues across Chandigarh and Panchkula from June 4.
The team will participate in 14 different sports disciplines including hockey, kabaddi, handball, basketball and individual events like archery, swimming, weightlifting, wrestling, judo, cycling, gymnastics and boxing.
Players from Chandigarh have also qualified for the two new demonstration events, gatka and malkhamb, the latter being a team event. The football and athletics teams. meanwhile, failed to qualify for the mega-event.
In the last edition of Khelo India Youth Games, which was held in Guwahati, Chandigarh ranked 16th with 17 medals including six gold—an improvement from the first edition in New Delhi where the side bagged only two golds.
Speaking ahead to the event, wrestling coach Darshan Lal is confident that the contingent will improve their medal tally from the previous edition.
“All 12 entries in wrestling are medal contenders this time. We have two international wrestlers participating this time. Anjali, the only girl in wrestling, is going in with medals in national sub-junior and junior championships. Our camp started from May 7 at Manimajra Sports Complex and players are raring to go,” he said.
The Chandigarh hockey team will enter the tournament having won a silver at the Hockey India Junior National Championship held in Tamil Nadu. Needless to say, they will be eyeing a podium-finish.
Speaking of the weightlifters’ chances, coach Karanvir Singh Bhutta said, “All three players are in medal contention while I have high hopes from Paramvir Singh who bagged gold in the national sub-junior championship.” Paramvir will be competing in the +102 kg category in weightlifting. Khelo India will be having most of the events in Tau Devi Lal Sports Complex in Panchkula with some games being held in Ambala, Shahbad, Delhi and Chandigarh.
