Haryana Wins National Pythian Games; Punjab, Chandigarh Follow

by The_unmuteenglish

Panchkula, 23 December 2024: The National Pythian Games 2024 were held at Tau Devi Lal Stadium in Panchkula, Haryana, with Haryana emerging as the overall champion in the Gatka competitions. The event, led by Dr. Bajinder Goyal, President of the Pythian Council of India, marked the inaugural National Cultural Pythian Games in the country.

Approximately 200 boys and girls from 12 states participated in the under-18 Gatka competitions. Haryana secured the top position with 5 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal. Punjab followed with 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals, while Chandigarh claimed third place with 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals.

Other states, including Maharashtra, Jharkhand, Jammu, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu, also secured bronze medals in various categories.

The Pythian Games, established in the 6th century BC in Delphi, Greece, were historically second in importance only to the Olympic Games.

They featured competitions in art, dance, and various sports. Dr. Goyal pointed up the revival of these games in India, stressing their cultural and historical importance.

Detailed results of the Gatka competitions are as follows:

Boys’ Competitions:

Free Stick Individual:

1st: Varspreet Singh (Haryana)
2nd: Gurlal Singh (Chandigarh)
3rd (tie): Sahib Singh (Punjab), Parth Khiste (Maharashtra)

Free Stick Team:
1st: Haryana (Anmoldeep Singh, Varspreet Singh, Armandeep Singh)
2nd: Punjab (Jaspreet Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Sahib Singh, Rishabhjeet Singh)
3rd: Chandigarh (Amanpreet Singh, Damanveer Singh, Gurlal Singh, Satwant Singh), Maharashtra (Prithviraj Pandit, Harshal Patil, Parth Jadhav, Vallabh)

Single Stick Team:
1st: Punjab (Damanpreet Singh, Jaskirat Singh, Gursharan Singh, Gurkirat Singh)
2nd: Haryana (Simranjeet Singh, Jaskirat Singh, Rajveer Singh, Sartaj Singh)
3rd: Chandigarh (Manminder Singh, Prabhashish Singh, Karanveer Singh, Mankirat Singh), Jharkhand (Sagar Kumar, Vansh Raj, Shashi Raj Yadav)

Single Stick Individual:
1st: Damanpreet Singh (Punjab)
2nd: Karanveer Singh (Chandigarh)
3rd (tie): Sahijpal Singh (Jammu), Jaskirat Singh (Haryana)

Girls’ Competitions:

Free Stick Individual:
1st: Harsimranjeet Kaur (Haryana)
2nd: Surmeet Kaur (Punjab)
3rd (tie): Jashnpreet Kaur (Chandigarh), Disha Sehgal (Maharashtra)

Free Stick Team:
1st: Chandigarh (Jasmeet Kaur, Jasmine Kaur, Pawaneet Kaur, Jashnpreet Kaur)
2nd: Haryana (Ekpreet Kaur, Tamanna, Harsimranjeet Kaur, Harshpreet Kaur)
3rd: Uttarakhand (Jashandeep Kaur, Harneev Kaur, Arshdeep Kaur), Tamil Nadu (V. Megavarsani, D. Naomik, D. Shrutiksha)

Single Stick Team:

1st: Haryana (Ashmeet Kaur, Jaskirat Kaur, Arjmeet Kaur)
2nd: Punjab (Namanpreet Kaur, Dalveerpreet Kaur, Harsimran Kaur)
3rd: Delhi (Anmoldeep Kaur, Divyanshi, Bhumika, Ishika Mehta), Chandigarh (Preneet Kaur Sohi, Harpreet Kaur, Ishpreet Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur)

Single Stick Individual:
1st: Arjmeet Kaur (Haryana)
2nd: Harsimran Kaur (Punjab)
3rd (tie): Harmanpreet Kaur (Chandigarh), Vijayalakshmi Pimprikar (Maharashtra)

Historically, Gatka was employed for self-defense and during Sikh wars, but it has evolved into a sport and cultural performance, often showcased during Sikh festivals.

The successful organization of these games demonstrates a renewed interest in preserving and promoting traditional sports and cultural heritage in India.

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