Chandigarh, November 11 (Sports Desk)
The thunderous clash of wooden sticks and battle cries echoed across Bengaluru City University as Punjab roared to an unstoppable overall championship victory at the 2nd Federation Gatka Cup 2025, leaving arch-rivals Haryana in a gallant yet distant second place.
In a breathtaking celebration of India’s ancient martial art, Punjab’s Gatkabaz displayed raw power, razor-sharp focus, and flawless technique to dominate the two-day spectacle — an integral part of the 2nd National Cultural Pythian Games 2025.
Category Highlights:
- Boys’ Championship: Punjab (Champions) | Haryana (Runners-up) | Uttarakhand & Chhattisgarh (Joint 3rd)
- Girls’ Championship: Haryana (Champions) | Punjab (Runners-up) | Chandigarh & Andhra Pradesh (Joint 3rd)
The tournament ignited with grandeur as Bijender Goel, Chairman of the Pythian Council of India, declared it open. Semifinals were flagged off by B.H. Anil Kumar, IAS, Chairman of the Organising Committee, while the high-voltage final day was launched by Advocate Harjeet Singh Grewal, President of the National Gatka Association of India.
Gracing the event were luminaries including Sukhchain Singh Kalsani, Jaspreet Singh Saini, Jagdish Singh, Aarthi Diwan, Sreejith Surendra, and coach Venugopal Velloli.
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Flawless officiating by technical experts Harnam Singh, Harsimran Singh, Amritpal Singh, Jashanpreet Singh, Sharry Singh, Narinderpal Singh, and Aman Singh (Chhattisgarh) ensured every strike, parry, and spin was judged with precision — a testament to Gatka’s rising national stature.
With Punjab once again proving its supremacy in the arena of sticks and spirit, the 2nd Federation Gatka Cup has cemented the martial art’s place as a powerhouse of Indian cultural sporting heritage.
Haryana may have fallen short overall, but their fierce pursuit signals one truth: the rivalry is only getting hotter.
