Lucknow's sporting talent shone brightly as local pugilists Soniya and Anamika Yadav clinched top honours at the ongoing Uttar Pradesh State Senior Women's Boxing Tournament. The event, held at the KD Singh Babu Stadium on Wednesday, saw fierce competition culminating in the city's athletes securing gold and silver medals in their respective final bouts.
Victorious Champions Across Weight Categories
The tournament crowned winners in ten different weight classes, showcasing the depth of boxing talent across the state. Lucknow's own Soniya emerged victorious in the highly competitive lightweight (57-60 kg) division, bringing home the gold. Her fellow city athlete, Anamika Yadav, displayed remarkable skill to secure a silver medal. Ragini Upadhyay, also from Lucknow, added to the city's medal tally with another silver.
The gold medal winners list is a testament to the widespread participation from across Uttar Pradesh:
- Rinky Kishori (Jhansi) - Light Flyweight (45-48 kg)
- Kusum (Aligarh) - Flyweight (48-51 kg)
- Babita (Agra) - Bantamweight (51-54 kg)
- Ice Prajapati (Gorakhpur) - Featherweight (54-57 kg)
- Sarita Rai (Varanasi) - Welterweight (60-65 kg)
- Aastha Pahwa (Saharanpur) - Light Middleweight (65-70 kg)
- Imroz Khan (Jhansi) - Middleweight (70-75 kg)
- Sneha (Meerut) - Light Heavyweight (75-80 kg)
- Mansi (Saharanpur) - Heavyweight (80-81 kg)
Upcoming Athletics Trials for Cross Country Championship
In related sports news, selection trials for the Lucknow district athletics team will be conducted this Saturday, December 27. The trials, set for the KD Singh Babu Stadium starting at 8 AM, aim to select athletes for the 60th UP State Cross Country Athletics Championship.
According to B R Varun, Secretary of the Lucknow District Athletics Association, the trials have specific age criteria for different race distances:
- Under-16 (Born between 25.01.2010 - 24.01.2012): 2 km for both Men and Women.
- Under-18 (Born between 25.01.2008 - 24.01.2010): Men will run 6 km, Women 4 km.
- Under-20 (Born between 25.01.2006 - 24.01.2008): Men will run 8 km, Women 6 km.
- Separate selections will be held for men and women above 20 years for a 10 km race.
Varun emphasized that all participating athletes must bring their AFI UID (Athletics Federation of India Unique Identification) document. The 60th UP State Cross Country Athletics Championship itself is scheduled to be organized in Jhansi on January 4. For further inquiries, interested athletes can contact mobile number 9415027942.
Para Judo Selection Trials Also Announced
Adding to the busy sports calendar, the Lucknow District Judo Association, in coordination with the Regional Sports Officer Lucknow, is organizing Senior Division Women and Men Judo Selection Trials. These trials will be held at the Indian Para Judo Academy located in Halwasiya Court, Hazratganj, Lucknow.
The selected players will earn the right to represent Lucknow district at the Senior State Samanvaya Women and Men Judo Championships. This state-level event is scheduled to take place from January 4 to 6 at the Eklavya Sports Stadium in Agra. The championships are being coordinated with the Sports Directorate of Uttar Pradesh and the UP Judo Association.
These series of events highlight a vibrant period for sports in Lucknow and Uttar Pradesh, providing crucial platforms for athletes in boxing, athletics, and para sports to showcase their abilities and progress to higher levels of competition.
