The Chhattisgarh men's handball team has made the state proud by securing a bronze medal at the prestigious 54th Senior Men's National Handball Championship. The six-day tournament, organized by the West Bengal State Handball Association under the aegis of Handball Association India, saw top teams from across the country compete for glory.
Dominant Run in the League Stage
Chhattisgarh showcased a commanding performance right from the start of the league stage. Placed in a challenging pool with Himachal Pradesh, Odisha, and Jharkhand, the team emerged victorious in all three of their matches to secure a smooth passage into the knockout rounds.
Their campaign began with a strong 50-34 victory over Himachal Pradesh. They continued their winning momentum by defeating Odisha with a convincing scoreline of 27-12. In a tightly contested final league match, Chhattisgarh managed to edge past Jharkhand 35-32, completing a clean sweep in their pool.
Knockout Battles and Heartbreak in Semis
The team's impressive form carried into the pre-quarterfinals, where they overpowered Telangana 27-12. In the quarterfinals, Chhattisgarh delivered another powerful performance, defeating Karnataka 43-29 to book their spot in the semi-finals.
The semi-final clash against the host state, West Bengal, turned out to be a thriller. The match was intensely close and went into extra time. In a heartbreaking finish, Chhattisgarh narrowly lost by a single point, with the final score reading 36-37 in favor of West Bengal.
Bronze Medal and Squad Composition
Following their semi-final defeat, Chhattisgarh was awarded the bronze medal jointly with Rajasthan. The 21-member squad that brought home this honor was a mix of talent from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) unit in Bhilai and various districts across the state.
The dedicated team members included: Pardeep, Mandeep, S Britain Singh, Mohd Amir Hussain, Mohd Nihal, Basa Mahesh, Mithun Kumar, Sandeep, K Kartik Kumar, M Gautam, Narayan Sahu, Aman Rajbhar, Lukesh Patel, Aditya Chandrakar, Sumit Singh Ramgarhia, Mohammad Gani, Sumit Kumar Yadav, and Tausif Imtiaz. Their collective effort and skill were instrumental in the state's successful campaign at the national level.
