SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, March 25: Three students of Dhanbad schools- Ambika Kumari, Aditi Kumari and Payal Kumari- have been selected in the Jharkhand state team for the Sepak Takraw national junior championship.
Ambika Kumari is a student of std10 at SSLNT Dhanbad. Aditi studies in std 7 at Bhartiya Public School and Payal Kumari is a student of std 9 students at Kendriya Vidyalaya-1.
The national sub-junior Sepak Takraw championship will kick start at Sawai Mansingh Stadium Jaipur (Rajasthan) from March 26 to 31. The Jharkhand teams left for Jaipur on Friday.
District Sepak Takraw association general secretary Kusum Mahto and coach Baby Kumari said that this is the first time these girls have been selected in the state team for the national championship.
“They have been playing for merely one year and have impressed the state selectors by their outstanding performance,” said Kusum Mahto.
Founder of District Sepak Takraw Association Shashi Kant Pandey while praising the players said that Dhanbad has become a force in the state in this game. Every year, five to six players are selected in the Jharkhand team.
Suman Mahto said besides Dhanbad, players of Ranchi, Hazaribagh, Jamtara and Dumka had participated in team trials.
Girls’ team – Ambika Kumari, Aditi Kumari, Payal Kumari, Risa Kumari.
Boys’ team- Vivek Kumar Mahto Dev Kumar Sahu, Simon Marandi, Mohit Kashyap, Badal Toppo, Ankit Kumar Pathak, Shishir Kumar, Pratik Puran, Md Rayyan, Anirudh Dutt Diwedi, Manikya Dutt and Ronak Verma.
Amrendra Diwedi and Vijay Oraon are the coaches of the boys’ and girls’ teams respectively.
Jharkhand Sepak Takraw Association Chairman Dipak Kumar Bharthuar and President Uday Sahu claimed that the state teams have prepared well this time and will bring better results.
Dhanbad district Sepak Takraw founder Shashi Kant Pandey, Sabir Akhtar (Dhanbad district association president) Kusum Mahto (general secretary), Mahaveer Prasad Mahto (vice-president) Ajay Kumar Singh and others have congratulated the players for representing the Jharkhand team in the national championship.
