By OUR STAFF REPORTER
Dehradun, 11 Oct: St Joseph Academy’s 8-year-old table tennis prodigy Jaivik Anand had a day to remember, as he walked away with gold medals in both the U-10 and U-12 Boys categories. Meanwhile, 21K School’s young talent Kaira Advani accomplished a rare feat by reaching the last four of each of the U-12, U-15, U-17, and U-19 table tennis girls’ events, winning gold in the U-12.
Jaivik and Kaira were among the many wards who made their coaches proud on ‘Coach Day’, a special event organised as part of the SFA Championships 2024 Uttarakhand on Day 7. Furthermore, as part of the ‘Coach Day’ celebrations, coaches enjoyed fun activities like water pong, push-ups, and arm wrestling. They were also presented gifts and certificates.
“It’s a very good event for sports,” said Diksha Table Tennis Academy’s Gautam D, Jaivik’s coach, after his student’s outstanding display. “There are few tournaments in Uttarakhand; these events help bring talent to the fore.”
“Sports don’t just teach us to play; sports teach us many things. Whether it is honing our discipline or building physical and mental immunity. Alongside studies, students should play at least a couple of sports as they improve levels and help allocate time to better things,” he added.
Alongside ‘Coach Day’, Day 7 of the SFA Championships 2024 also witnessed the basketball event coming to a close. Meanwhile, the kabaddi mini-tournament got underway with the initial rounds, joining football and badminton as the open events. The focus, however, remained on the achievement of coaches, who masterfully guided their wards from the sidelines in their quest for gold.
“The championships are very well organised and they are providing a brilliant platform to young kids at the grassroots level. Every child gets the opportunity to play here, regardless of their financial condition. It’s difficult to find a platform as good as this anywhere else,” declared Mohan Singh, a volleyball coach from Ranipokhuri International School.
The SFA Championships feature 16,354 athletes this year, aged 3 to 18, from a whopping 395 schools, who will compete in 19 sports across six venues. The championships are part of Sports For All’s (SFA) commitment to professionalise, organise, and monetise grassroots sports, aiming to foster a culture that values and invests in sports nationwide. This year’s championships will run until October 15, roping in participants from across Dehradun in a hunt for the best talents.
