Lucknow: Lucknow emerged victorious in the Open Senior State-Level Invitational Men’s Handball Championship by defeating Amethi Hostel 29-25 in a thrilling final. Gorakhpur and Mau secured joint third place in the tournament.
Organized under the aegis of the Uttar Pradesh Sports Directorate and the Regional Sports Office Lucknow, the championship was held at Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sports Complex, located within KD Singh Babu Stadium. In the final match, Lucknow maintained a narrow 14-10 lead at halftime against Amethi Hostel. Both teams showcased exceptional gameplay, but Lucknow’s advantage lay in its experienced players.
For Lucknow, Shubham Saroj was the top scorer with nine goals, while Vikrant netted six, David contributed four, and Mankesh and Nihal added three goals each. On the other hand, Ajit Raj and Abhishek scored six goals each for Amethi Hostel, while Kamran and Akash Yadav added four and three goals, respectively.
The tournament concluded with a grand award distribution ceremony, where the chief guest, Animesh Saxena (Executive Principal, Guru Govind Singh Sports College and Regional Sports Officer, Lucknow Division), felicitated the winners and boosted their morale. Distinguished guests present at the event included GS Rana (International Handball Player) and Dhirendra Shukla (Secretary, Ballia Olympic Association).
Among those present were Lucknow team’s coach Mohd. Tauheed (International Handball Coach), gymnastics coach Ravikant Yadav, Laxman Awardee handball player Mohit Yadav, and a large number of sports enthusiasts. Earlier, in the morning session’s semi-final matches, Lucknow defeated Gorakhpur 27-13, while Amethi Hostel overcame Mau 24-21 to secure their spot in the final.
