Patna: The Bihar government is committed to strengthening the state’s sports infrastructure and ensuring that athletes receive all necessary support and facilities. Sports grounds are being developed not only in major cities but also in every panchayat, making sports resources accessible at the grassroots level. “Athletes will now rise from villages and bring pride to Bihar on national and international stages,” stated Bihar’s Sports Minister, Surendra Mehta, during the Sipahi Bhagat Sports Award Ceremony on Tuesday.
Speaking at the award ceremony held at Open Mind A Birla School in Danapur, Minister Mehta encouraged the state’s athletes to focus solely on their sports, assuring them that the government would address any challenges they face. He highlighted several initiatives, including the newly established Sports Academy in Rajgir, the Eklavya Centres operating in various locations, and the Khelo India training centres, which provide comprehensive training for aspiring athletes.
The event, organised by the Sipahi Bhagat Sports Foundation, began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp by Sports Minister Surendra Mehta, Bihar Players Association President Mrityunjay Tiwari, School COO Aman Kumar, and Principal Paljinder Pal Singh. The ceremony was graced by special guests Avantika Bisht and Rajwinder Kaur, while the school’s girls choir performed a welcome song. Principal Paljinder Pal Singh welcomed everyone with bouquets, shawls, and mementos.
Mrityunjay Tiwari, President of the Bihar Players Association, addressed the gathering, advising students and athletes to avoid shortcuts and emphasising the importance of hard work and honesty in achieving success. He motivated the young athletes, reminding them that they are the future of the country, and that some of them may go on to represent India in prestigious events like the World Cup, Asian Games, or Olympics.
School COO Aman Kumar expressed the school’s commitment to supporting athletes, stating that Open Mind A Birla School, Danapur, is always open to the state’s athletes. He noted that the school encourages students to excel not only academically but also in various extracurricular activities. Both the school and the Sipahi Bhagat Sports Foundation are dedicated to promoting development in diverse fields, including sports. The students also captivated the audience with a series of impressive cultural performances.
During the felicitation ceremony, senior cricket coach Devki Nandan Das was honoured with the prestigious Sipahi Bhagat Khel Ratna Award. In addition to this, various sports association officials, coaches, and athletes were recognised for their contributions. The entire event was overseen by Santosh Tiwari, founder of the Sardar Patel Sports Foundation.
Honoured Individuals
- Sipahi Bhagat Khel Ratna Award: Devki Nandan Das
- Officials and Coaches:
- Syed Imtiaz Hussain (Secretary, Bihar Football Association)
- Ravi Singh (Basketball Coach)
- Sanjay Tiwari (Hockey Coach)
- Vishakha Benedict (Swimming Coach)
- Rajiv Ranjan (Volleyball Coach)
- Rahul Das (Table Tennis Coach)
- Anurag Bhuvalaka (Shooting Coach)
- Vinod Kumar (Ball Badminton Coach)
- Naveen Kumar (Cricket Coach)
- Subhash Kumar (Karate Coach)
- Sanoj Kumar (Archery Coach)
- Abhay (Chess Coach)
- Shrimod Pathak (Badminton Coach)
- Athletes:
- Himanshu Hari (Ranji Trophy Cricketer)
- Vivek Kumar (Ranji Trophy Cricketer)
- Rishabh Raj (Ranji Trophy Cricketer)
- Prateek Arya (Under-23 Bihar State Cricketer)
- Vikram Kumar (Archer)
- Anshu Kumari (Handball Player)
- Suyash Madhup (Badminton Player)
- Ajay Kumar Munna (Shooter)
- Preeti Priya (Women’s Cricketer)
- Deepanjali Rani (Women’s Cricketer)
- Nandani Pandit (Women’s Cricketer)
- Antara Rai (National Softball Player)
- Pragya Singh (National Softball Player)
- Rohit Kumar Suri (Pickupball Player)
- Bhoomi Gupta (Pickupball Player)
- Yogita Kumari (Soft Tennis Player)
- Deepti (Mini Golf Player)
- Shekhar Kumar (Soft Tennis Player)
- Satyam Vats (Badminton Player)
- Suruchi Pandey (Kabaddi Player)
- Khushi Kumari (Volleyball Player)
- Aarti Kumari (Sepak Takraw Player)
- Khushi Kumari (Football Player)
- Kundan Kumar (Rollball Skating Player)
- Shashikant (Ball Badminton Player)
- Preeti Raj (Karate Player)
- Kiran Kumari (Long Jump Athlete)
- Varsha Sagar (Softball Player)
- Eklavya Sharma (Table Tennis Player)
- Nimisha Rajput (Kabaddi Player)
- Rakshika Rajesh (Taekwondo Player)
- Ankaj Kumar (Handball Player)
- Rajiv Ranjan (Badminton Player)
- Teachers and Students of Open Mind A Birla School, Danapur:
- Teachers:
- Karandhir Sharma (Athletics)
- Poonam Pandey (Kho-Kho)
- Satyajeet Aditya (Carrom)
- Rahul Kumar (Judo)
- Nitish Kumar Upadhyay (Soft Tennis)
- Bhanu Prasad (Basketball)
- Students:
- Swetank, Sabhy Rai, Deepanshu Raj, Abhiraj, Himanya Singh, Shreya, Saksham Kumar (Judo)
- Pratham Chakraborty (Shooting)
- Anushka Ajay, Rishabh Raj, Yatharth Yashasvi (Athletics)
- Dev Kislay, Deven Aryan, Shaurya Singh, Rakshit Shaurya (Kabaddi)
- Pranay (Lawn Tennis)
- Arya Parashar (Soft Tennis)
- Prajjwal Giri (Skating)
- Siddhant Kumar (Skating)
- Teachers:
