Excelsior Sports Correspondent
REASI, Oct 23: The Department of Youth Services and Sports (DYSS) Reasi organized a highly competitive Inter-District UT Level Archery Competition at the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi (SMVD) Sports Complex in Katra. Young archers from various districts across the Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory competed in the event, showcasing their archery skills with hopes of qualifying for the upcoming School Games Federation of India (SGFI) games.
The event was graced by Dhruv Gupta, Assistant Chief Executive Officer and Director of Sports of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, as the guest of honour. He was accompanied by Sanjeev Kotwal. Tarsem Singh, District Youth Services and Sports Officer (DYSSO) Reasi, highlighted the significance of the competition, providing young athletes with an important platform to further their sporting careers.
During his address, Dhruv Gupta commended the efforts of DYSS Reasi in organizing such events and praised the state-of-the-art sports facilities at the SMVD Sports Complex. He acknowledged the Shrine Board’s continuous support for sports development in the region, mentioning Paralympians Sheetal Devi and Rakesh Kumar, who have trained at the complex, as examples of the potential success that such initiatives can lead to.
The competition showcased exceptional performances, with Jammu district securing top ranks in several categories. In the Under-14; Parmjot Singh from Jammu took first place, followed by Angad Singh in second and Jeet in third, also from Jammu. Mrityunjay from Jammu secured first in the Under-14 Compound category, while Nirbhay from Kathua claimed first in Recurve.
In the Under-17 category, Arshit Sharma from Jammu finished first, with Sam taking second place and Saksham Khajuria from Kathua in third. Anshul Singh from Kathua excelled in the Compound category, winning first, followed by Aniket Sharma in second and Kartavya Sharma in third, both from Kathua. Jaivardhan Singh from Jammu secured first place in the Under-17 Recurve event, with Kartik Singh from Jammu in second.
In the Under-19 category, Ishant Deshwal from Jammu clinched first position, followed by Gourav Sharma and Rakesh Kumar, both from Kathua, in second and third place, respectively. Ritika Singh from Kathua took first place in the Recurve category, with Mandeep from Kathua finishing second.
The matches were officiated by Jaswant Singh, Sanjeev Kumar, and Jugal Kumar, under the supervision of Ablisha Choudhary, Archery Coach at SMVD Sports Complex, and Kuldeep Kumar, Activity Incharge, DYSSO Reasi.