National Pythian Games: Haryana Clinched Gatka Championship – Punjab Second, Chandigarh Third

Bahadurjeet Singh/Chandigarh, December 23, 2024

The first-ever National Pythian Cultural Games 2024 concluded with great enthusiasm at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula, Haryana. Alongside other traditional games and martial arts, national-level competitions in various art forms were also organised in these games. These heritage and artistic competitions were introduced in India for the first time under the leadership of former minister of Jharkhand Dr. Bajinder Goyal, President of Pythian Council of India, affiliated with the International Council.

Sharing this information, Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the National Gatka Association of India (NGAI), and Vice President Sukhchain Singh Kalsani said that Gatka competitions were also held for participants under 18 years of age. Nearly 200 players, including boys’ and girls’ teams, from 12 states participated in these competitions.

General Secretary of the NGAI, Harjinder Kumar, and Treasurer Baljeet Singh informed that Haryana has secured the overall championship, with Punjab finishing second and Chandigarh third.

Vice President of the Gatka Association of Punjab and head of the tournament’s technical team, Sarabjit Singh Ludhiana, further added that Haryana’s players emerged victorious winning 5 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze medal. The runners-up, Punjab, bagged 2 gold, 4 silver, and 2 bronze medals, while Chandigarh secured 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals. In addition, Maharashtra won 4 bronze medals, while Jharkhand, Jammu, Delhi, Uttarakhand, and Tamil Nadu each won 1 bronze medal.

Speaking about the Pythian Games, Dr. Bajinder Goyal explained that these ancient games originated in Greece and were one of the four Panhellenic Games. They were held every four years in Delphi in honor of Apollo, two years after the Olympic Games and in between the Nemean and Isthmian Games. Ranked second in importance after the Olympics, the Pythian Games included competitions in art and dances also. Established in the 6th century BCE, these games continued until 424 BC.

National Pythian Games: Haryana Clinched Gatka Championship – Punjab Second, Chandigarh Third. Results of Boys’ Gatka Competitions:

Free Stick Individual Event:

Results of Gatka Competitions

Boys’ Competitions:

Free Stick Individual Event:
1st: Varaspreet Singh (Haryana)
2nd: Gurlal Singh (Chandigarh)
Joint 3rd: Sahib Singh (Punjab) and Parth Khiste (Maharashtra)
Free Stick Team Event:
1st: Haryana (Anmoldeep Singh, Varaspreet Singh, Armandeep Singh)
2nd: Punjab (Jaspreet Singh, Gurbaj Singh, Sahib Singh, Rishabhjeet Singh)
Joint 3rd: Chandigarh (Amanpreet Singh, Damanveer Singh, Gurlal Singh, Satwant Singh) and Maharashtra (Prithviraj Pandit, Harshal Patil, Parth Jadhav)
Single Stick Team Event:
1st: Punjab (Damanpreet Singh, Jaskirat Singh, Gursharan Singh, Gurkirat Singh)
2nd: Haryana (Simranjeet Singh, Jaskirat Singh, Rajveer Singh, Sartaj Singh)
3rd: Chandigarh (Manminder Singh, Prabhashish Singh, Karanveer Singh, Mankirat Singh) and Jharkhand (Sagar Kumar, Vansh Raj, Shashi Raj Yadav)
Single Stick Individual Event:
1st: Damanpreet Singh (Punjab)
2nd: Karanveer Singh (Chandigarh)
Joint 3rd: Sahijpal Singh (Jammu) and Jaskirat Singh (Haryana)

Girls’ Competitions:

Free Stick Individual Event:
1st: Harsimarjeet Kaur (Haryana)
2nd: Surmeet Kaur (Punjab)
Joint 3rd: Jashanpreet Kaur (Chandigarh) and Disha Sehgal (Maharashtra)
Free Stick Team Event:
1st: Chandigarh (Jasmeet Kaur, Jasmine Kaur, Pavneet Kaur, Jashanpreet Kaur)
2nd: Haryana (Ekpreet Kaur, Tamanna, Harsimarjeet Kaur, Harshpreet Kaur)
Joint 3rd: Uttarakhand (Jashandeep Kaur, Harneev Kaur, Arshdeep Kaur) and Tamil Nadu (V. Megavarsani, D. Naomik, D. Shrutiksha)
Single Stick Team Event:
1st: Haryana (Ashmeet Kaur, Jaskirat Kaur, Arjmeet Kaur)
2nd: Punjab (Namanpreet Kaur, Dalvirpreet Kaur, Harsimar Kaur)
Joint 3rd: Delhi (Anmoldeep Kaur, Divyanshi, Bhoomika, Ishika Mehta) and Chandigarh (Parneet Kaur Sohi, Harpreet Kaur, Ishpreet Kaur, Harmanpreet Kaur)
Single Stick Individual Event:
1st: Arjmeet Kaur (Haryana)
2nd: Harsimar Kaur (Punjab)
Joint 3rd: Harmanpreet Kaur (Chandigarh) and Vijayalakshmi Pimprikar (Maharashtra)