TNR News Network
Shimla — The Himachal Pradesh University Inter-College Badminton Championship was inaugurated today at Rajiv Gandhi Government College (Kotshera), Chaura Maidan, Shimla. The three-day event, running from October 15 to 17, brings together teams from 44 colleges across the state in a spirited celebration of youth and sport.
The championship was formally opened by Harish Janartha, MLA of Shimla Urban Constituency, who emphasized the transformative power of sports in building confidence, discipline, and community among youth. He urged students to embrace sports as a lifestyle and steer clear of substance abuse, reaffirming the state government’s commitment to enhancing sports infrastructure and opportunities.
Welcoming the dignitaries, College Principal Dr. Gopal Chauhan highlighted recent developments at the campus, including the installation of floodlights at the basketball court, a new badminton court, ongoing retaining wall construction, and plans for a cricket pitch. He thanked the Himachal Pradesh Government and the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) for their continued support.
During the ceremony, MLA Janartha also addressed infrastructure concerns, announcing efforts to identify a new site for hostel construction after the Geological Survey of India deemed the previous location unsafe. He assured students that public transport issues would be taken into consideration.
The event was attended by several prominent guests, including Councillors Urmila Kashyap and Ankush Verma, Sports Supervisor Dr. Rajkumar, PTA President Kamal Lohia, Vice President Rajesh Thakur, and member Navneet Kaur. Sports officers from Himachal Pradesh University—Sunny Papta, Munit Lakhanpal, Rajesh Sharma, Sumit Dhaulta, Hemant Negi, and Udit—also marked their presence.
Organizing Secretary Dr. Vinod Kumar reported thrilling performances in the parallel Inter-College Volleyball Championship. Key match results included:
- Government College Seema defeated Government College Kupvi 3-0
- Regional Centre Dharamshala beat UIIT, HPU 3-1
- BBN Chakmoh College triumphed over Government College Sangrah 3-0
- Government College Bilaspur outplayed Sanskrit College Solan 3-1
- Government College Palampur edged past Government College Saraswati Nagar in a close 3-2 match
Upcoming matches on Day 1 include Barsar vs Sujanpur and DAV Banikhet vs Government College Ghumarwin.
The inauguration was also attended by Dr. P.D. Kaushal, Dean Student Welfare, and Dr. Rakesh Sharma, Coordinator of the Research and Development Cell. Students from NCC, NSS, and Ranger-Rover units played a vital role in organizing the event, which drew enthusiastic participation from faculty, staff, and students statewide.
