Ludhiana: Gurdaspur judokas shine in state tourney

Gurdaspur dominated as Abhishek bagged gold in the 81kg category, followed by Harmanpreet Singh, also from Gurdaspur, in second place; Manav Sharma from Gurdaspur claimed gold in the 100kg category

In the 45th junior state judo championship, held at the Multipurpose Complex on Sunday, nearly 300 players from across Punjab showcased their skills. Organised by the Punjab Judo Association, the event witnessed young judokas battling for top honours in various weight categories.

Players in action during the 45th junior state judo championship in Ludhiana on Sunday. (Manish/HT)

In the men’s 55kg category, Shivansh Vashisht and Sahil, both from Jalandhar, secured the first and second positions, respectively, while Prince Kumar from Ludhiana claimed the third spot. Jalandhar continued its winning streak in the 60kg category, where Nakul Arora emerged as the champion, followed by Anuj Kumar from Patiala securing second place, and Aarush Dutta from Hoshiarpur, the third place.

The 66kg category saw Om Rattan from Hoshiarpur clinching gold, with Ravinder Aditra from Patiala securing silver. Dharmesh and Navdeep Singh from Mohali shared the third spot. In the 73kg category, Chirag Sharma from Gurdaspur claimed the top position, while Karanveer Singh Mann from Bathinda and Harjeet Kumar from Patiala settled for second and third place, respectively.

Gurdaspur continued to dominate as Abhishek bagged gold in the 81kg category, followed by Harmanpreet Singh, also from Gurdaspur, in second place and Akashdeep Singh from Amritsar in third. In the 90kg category, Rajnish Kumar from Gurdaspur secured the top position, with Ram Kumar from Mohali finishing second, while Rohit and Rajwanpratap Singh from Patiala shared the third spot.

In the heavyweight categories, Harsh Sharma from Amritsar triumphed in the 100kg category, defeating Gaganjot Singh from Jalandhar. Meanwhile, Manav Sharma from Gurdaspur claimed gold in the 100kg category, followed by Amanatbir Singh from Amritsar in second place.

The event was attended by Simarjit Singh Bains, alongside Balwinder Singh, chairman of the Ludhiana District Judo Association, and Rajinder Sharma, president of the Ludhiana District Association. Senior vice-president Avtar Singh Kalsi and district sports wing president Sonia were also present.

Other notable attendees included Sanjay Sharma, Rajwinder Singh (general secretary of the district judo association), retired SP and international player Dharamveer Singh Dhami, and Gagandeep Kaushal.