5 years on, inter-school contests back on UT sports calendar
Deepankar Sharda
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 11
For the first time in the last five years, the UT Sports Department has decided to conduct interschool competitions in various sporting disciplines. The competition will also include cash prizes for the winners.
To start with, the department will host interschool badminton championship from Thursday. The four-day competition will be held in U-13, U-15 and U-17 age groups in both boys’ and girls’ categories.
As per the calendar approved by the selection committee, the department has also decided to host a 16-day interschool cricket championship from April 25.
In May, the department will organise a summer coaching camp for the players of various coaching centres. “During the course of camps, the players will be given diet after practice sessions,” mentioned the Sports Department.
It will be flowed a by three-day State Handball Championship for Women.
In June, the authorities will conduct a three-day interschool archery championship for both boys and girls. The competition will begin on June 10. While from June 28, a three-day swimming championship for boys and girls will be organised in sub-junior and junior categories.
A three-day U-18 athletics championship for boys and girls has been scheduled from July 10, the calendar mentioned.
In the month of August, the department will organise a four-day table tennis tournament for sub-junior and junior boys and girls. The tournament will begin on August 7. It will be followed by a two-day U-18 judo championship from August 23.
From August 30, the department has decided to conduct a three-day gymnastics championship for U-17 boys and U-15 girls.
The 16th edition of the All-India Administrator’s U-17 Football Cup will be played between September 22 and 30. The championship is scheduled to be played at the Sector 7 Sports Complex.
The authorities are also likely to increase the prize money for the winning team.
A four-day interschool weightlifting championship will be held from October 4. The championship will be organised in senior, junior and sub-junior categories.
Under-19 boys and girls will compete in the three-day volleyball tournament from October 15. The championship will be followed by a five-day tri-city interschool U-19 basketball championship from October 29.
Under-14 open tennis championship will be held from November 14, while the interschool wrestling competition will begin on November 13.
In December, The inaugural edition of the All-India Invitational Handball Championship for Men will be organised in December.
A total of eight teams will be invited for the competition, scheduled to be held between December 20 and 23.
The year will end with the Rural Sports Festival for athletics, kho-kho, kabaddi, wrestling and volleyball, the Sports Department added.
In January 2019, the department will host Khelo India Women’s Sports Festival. During the event players will compete in athletics, badminton, basketball, gymnastics, handball, hockey, kabaddi, kho-kho, tennis, swimming, table tennis and volleyball.
An open boxing championship for boys and girls will be held in the second week of February.
Besides this, the department will host a three-week high-altitude summer coaching camp for the trainees of the state-run Chandigarh Football and Hockey academies.
The camp is scheduled to be held in the second week of June 2018.
A seminar by anti-doping agency NADA will be organised during the last week of May.
The department will also conduct various sporting activities to mark National Sports Day on August 29.
