Punjab Triumphs at the 12th National Gatka Championship
Conclusion of the National Gatka Championship
The 12th National Gatka Championship, featuring both men's and women's competitions, wrapped up today at the Talkatora Indoor Stadium in New Delhi. This three-day event saw enthusiastic participation from over 500 players representing Gatka teams from fourteen different states.
Recognition of Achievements
Justice (Retd.) Talwant Singh, a former Judge of the Delhi High Court, served as the chief guest, while Bibi Ranjit Kaur, a member of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, was the guest of honor. They presented medals and trophies to the champions. In his speech, Justice Singh encouraged the Gatka players to aspire to become professional practitioners while honoring the cultural and martial legacy of this traditional Sikh art. He commended the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI) for their efforts in promoting this historic sport on both national and international platforms.
Championship Highlights
NGAI President Harjeet Singh Grewal expressed gratitude to all participants, guests, and officials for their support in making the championship a resounding success. Notable attendees included Harmanpreet Singh Jolly, Dr. Talwinderpal Singh Nalwa, and Sukhchain Singh Kalsani.
Overall Results
In the overall standings, the Punjab girls' team secured the top trophy, with Chandigarh finishing as the runner-up and Haryana taking third place. For the boys, Punjab also emerged as the overall champion, followed by Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand in second and third places, respectively. Special awards were given to Ravleen Kaur from Chandigarh and Harmandeep Kaur from Punjab for best player and best performance in the girls' category, while Sharry Singh from Punjab was recognized as the best player in the boys' category, with Harsimran Singh from Punjab receiving the best performer award.
Event Results by Age Group
In the boys' U-14 single stick individual event, Gagandeep Singh from Uttarakhand took home the gold medal, with Noorpreet Singh earning silver. Mangesh from Maharashtra and Sukhmanpreet Singh from Punjab shared the bronze. In the team event, Haryana won gold, Uttarakhand silver, and Chhattisgarh and Chandigarh claimed bronze medals. In the U-14 farri stick individual event, Jagjot Singh of Uttarakhand won gold, while Satwant Singh Khalsa from Chandigarh secured silver, and Ekamjot Singh and Sukhmanpreet Singh from Punjab won bronze. The team event saw Punjab winning gold, Uttarakhand silver, and Chandigarh and Tamil Nadu taking bronze.
U-17 and U-19 Results
In the boys' U-17 single stick individual event, Samrath Singh of Chhattisgarh won gold, with Rajvir Singh from Uttarakhand taking silver. Tanveer Singh from Punjab and Hardeep Singh from Telangana received bronze medals. The U-17 single stick team event saw Punjab winning gold, Haryana silver, and Uttarakhand and Delhi earning bronze. In the U-19 category, Harkirat Singh from Chhattisgarh won gold in the single stick individual event, while Tejpartap Singh from Chandigarh took silver. Sahibveer Singh from Punjab and Varispreet Singh from Haryana won bronze medals.
Final Results
In the boys' U-22 single stick individual event, Maninder Singh from Punjab won gold, with Sahib Singh from Delhi earning silver. N. Hari Haran from Tamil Nadu and Babanjot Singh from Chandigarh shared bronze medals. The team event saw Punjab winning gold, Chhattisgarh silver, and Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu taking bronze. In the girls' U-22 farri stick individual event, Punjab secured gold, with Chandigarh taking silver and Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh winning bronze.
Boys U-25 Results
In the boys' U-25 single stick individual event, Sharry Singh from Punjab won gold, while D. Alien from Tamil Nadu took silver. Naresh Kumar from Rajasthan and Gurtaj Singh from Chhattisgarh received bronze medals. In the team event, Punjab again claimed gold, with Chhattisgarh earning silver and Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu taking bronze. In the farri stick individual event, Harsimar Singh from Punjab won gold, Pakshdeep Singh from Himachal Pradesh took silver, and Kudrat Singh from Chhattisgarh and Rajpal from Rajasthan won bronze. The team event saw Punjab winning gold, Himachal Pradesh silver, and Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh taking bronze.