Lucknow's sporting landscape is buzzing with achievements as athletes from the city and its premier university delivered remarkable performances across multiple disciplines this week, securing qualifications and clinching titles.
LU Weightlifters Punch Ticket to National Stage
A contingent of five weightlifters from Lucknow University (LU) has earned a coveted spot in the All-India Tournament following a stellar show at the NorthEast Zone Inter-University Weightlifting Championship. The event was hosted at Punjab University in Chandigarh from December 26 to 30 and featured competitors from over 70 universities.
The qualifying athletes are Roli Verma (48 kg), Neha Singh Chauhan (53 kg), Ankit Verma (60 kg), Praveen Kumar (65 kg), and Sakshi Kesarwani (86 kg). Expressing pride in the team's accomplishment, Ajay Arya, general secretary of the Lucknow University Athletic Association, commended their effort. "LU is proud of our weightlifting team for their outstanding performance. Their dedication and hard work have earned them a well-deserved spot in the All-India Tournament," Arya stated.
Hockey Dominance and Football Wins
In a display of sheer dominance, Sports Hostel, Lucknow, crushed Sports Hostel, Varanasi, with a 9-0 scoreline to storm into the final of the Junior Men's State Hockey Tournament. The match took place at the Padma Shri Mohd Shahid Synthetic Hockey Stadium on Tuesday. Shahrukh was the star of the show, netting four goals in the 17th, 21st, 51st, and 56th minutes. He was ably supported by Ajay (two goals), Atif, and Akshat Verma.
On the football front, the 8th Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Memorial Football Tournament at Dilkusha ground saw Lucknow Youth and Mid Winter Football Club secure victories. Lucknow Youth edged past Tectro B 5-4 in a tense penalty shootout, while Mid Winter defeated LDA Football Club 3-1.
Local Talents Earn State Honors
In a significant development for budding footballers, city girl Aksha Khan has been selected for the Uttar Pradesh Under-15 girls' football squad. She will be joined by Nupur Pandey of Bahraich and Priya Verma of Sitapur. Nupur trains under coach Mohammad Asif Raza Khan at KD Singh 'Babu' Stadium, while Priya trains under Rahul Gupta at Chowk Stadium.
The selection highlights the growing talent pool from the region. The full UP squad includes players from Agra, Bahraich, Kanpur, Meerut, and other districts.
Other Notable Sporting Updates
Tennis Triumph: Lucknow's Aairah and Agra's Hanu Verma claimed top honors at the Uttar Pradesh State Tennis Tournament 2025 at Mini Stadium, Vijayant Khand. Aairah defeated Sasa Katiyar 9-2 in the women's singles final, while Hanu Verma won a tight men's singles final against Omyadav 9-8 (2).
Wushu Medal Haul: Uttar Pradesh athletes returned with an impressive 31 medals (9 gold, 12 silver, 10 bronze) from the 9th Wushu National Federation Cup in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh. Notably, Lucknow's own Sunish Rawat contributed significantly with two gold and one silver medal.
League Preparations: The sports scene is set to get more competitive with the upcoming Lucknow Premier League (LPL). The auction in January will see around 500 players go under the hammer for the first edition, likely to be staged in March. Trials have already begun at Sports Galaxy Academy, with about 1,200 players assessed by a committee including former India cricketer Gyanendra Pandey.
University Team Announcement: Lucknow University has also named its badminton team for the North Zone Inter-University Championship at CT University, Ludhiana, starting December 31. The squad will be led by captain Shourya Pratap Singh.
