PANJIM: The Western Zone team secured five championship titles at the All-India LIC Games 2023-24 held at Peddem ground, Mapusa.
The North Central Zone emerged champions in the men’s athletics team championship, while the South Central Zone claimed the top spot in the women’s athletics team championship.
If you enjoyed reading this article, you can help support our journalism by adding OHeraldo as a preferred source.
In badminton, the North Zone exhibited dominance in the men’s category, while the Western Zone emerged triumphant in the women’s category. Notably, the Western Zone also excelled in carrom (both men and women), chess (women), and table tennis (women), securing championship titles in these categories. The Eastern Zone showcased their prowess in table tennis (men), while the South Central Zone emerged as champions in volleyball (men).
In the spotlight were the individual championship trophies, where the men’s athletics category saw a rare display of shared excellence. Kalidas Hirave from the Western Zone and A Yogesh from the South Zone stood as joint champions. In the women’s athletics category, the crown of individual champion was rightfully claimed by Joyline Lobo hailing from the South Central Zone.
The title of the fastest man in athletics was seized by Anirudh Gujar from the Western Zone. Badminton enthusiasts witnessed an intense clash in the men’s championship, where Siddharth Jakhar (North Zone) emerged victorious against Prem Singh Chauhan (North Zone). Meanwhile, the women’s championship in badminton showcased the dominance of Leena Dhapre (Western Zone) over Varada Dixit (Western Zone) in a thrilling contest.
The carrom battlefield witnessed intense duels, with Prakash Gaekwad (Western Zone) prevailing over Dilli Babu (South Zone) in the men’s category and Dipika Sinha (East Central Zone) conquering S Apurva (South Central Zone) in the women’s division.
Chess masters left their mark on the board, with Sriram Jha (North Zone) claiming victory in the Men’s category and Kiran M Mohanty (East Central Zone) displaying strategic brilliance to secure the women’s championship.
Table Tennis enthusiasts were treated to skillful displays, as Sougata Sarkar (East Zone) outplayed Rohit Chakraborty (East Zone) in the men’s category, while Prajakta Tipale (Western Zone) emerged triumphant against Chandrani Dei (Eastern Zone) in the women’s division.
In volleyball, South Central Zone triumphed over Western Zone in the men’s category, with Asif U Mulla (Western Zone) claiming player of the tournament.
The four days’ event was declared closed by LIC’s Managing Director, Sat Pal Bhanoo in the presence of Kamal Kumar, Zonal Manager of Western Zone, Salil Executive Director (HRD) and other dignitaries of LIC’s Central office.
