Athletes from Gujarat came out with flying colours at the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship in Ahmedabad, winning gold medals in many categories.
Organised by the Chess Boxing Organisation of India and hosted by the Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat, the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship took place at Reliance Mall in Shahibaug, Ahmedabad, from September 9 to 11.
A total of 80 matches were played over two days which saw the participation of more than 120 players from across the country. The championship was also the selection competition for the upcoming World Chessboxing Championships in Turkey.
A total of 99 medals were awarded, including 57 golds, 29 silvers, and 13 bronze medals. Male athletes were awarded 37 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals, and female athletes 20 gold,seven silver, and one bronze medal.In terms of the medal tally, Andhra Pradesh topped the charts, followed by Uttar Pradesh in the second position and Tamil Nadu in the third.
Prem Pandit from Surat was the winner of the Gala Night Fight. He defeated his counterpart from West Bengal in the senior men’s 54kg category to qualify for the World Championships.
First International Grandmaster Tejas Bakre from Gujarat won the gold in the masters' category.
Arjun Bhandari won the gold in the sub-junior boys – 62 kg category.
In the senior man 95 kg category, Parth Shah got the better of international gold medal winner Madhav from Kerala to win the gold medal.
Ankit Dalal, Secretary of Gujarat Chess Boxing Association, won the silver medal in the senior men’s above 95 kg category. Simit Shah won the bronze medal in the same weight category.
“We are thrilled by the amazing response to the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship and thank the people of Ahmedabad and Gujarat for coming in large numbers to watch the unique sport of chess boxing and encouraging the athletes. We are confident that chess boxing will become a very popular sport in India. I extend my sincere wishes to all the participants and medal winners. I also take this opportunity to thank the Chess Boxing Association of Gujarat for being wonderful hosts,” said Montu Das, President, World Chess Boxing Organisation. Besides Prem Pandit, Tejas Bakre, Arjun Bhandari, Parth Shah, and Ankit Dalal also qualified for the World Chess Boxing Championship.“We saw many close matches and contests throughout the championship and thank all the athletes, coaches, officials, and fans for making the championship a big success. We are also thankful to the Chess Boxing Organisation of India for giving us the opportunity to host the championship,” said Mehul Mehta, President of Gujarat Chess Boxing Association.
The winners were handed over their medals and prizes at a grand closing ceremony and prize distribution function by the dignitaries, who also included Anindya Banerjee, Chairman of Chess Boxing India.
Ankit Dalal, Secretary of Gujarat Chess Boxing Association, said, “Chess boxing is a unique sport that requires athletes to have both intelligence and physical strength. The response to the 10th National Chess Boxing Championship has been amazing and we are confident it will add tremendously to the sport’s popularity in Gujarat and elsewhere.”