Football knockouts and athletic brilliance take centre-stage on day 2 of the SFA Championships

· Day 2 witnessed over 600 athletes competing in Football & Athletics

· State-of-the-art sporting infrastructures Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence and Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subhas Southern Centre, had school athletes competing

Bengaluru, January 17th, 2024: The excitement soared at the SFA Championships in Bengaluru as Day 2 unfolded with the kickoff of football matches at the Padukone Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence (PDCSE). Meanwhile, athletics continued to captivate the audience at the Sports Authority of India, Netaji Subhas Southern Centre.

“No human is limited, said Eluid Kipchoge, the Kenyan long distance runner and my idol.

My tryst with running began only last year, after a nudge at the school competition for 1500m. And after that there was no looking back. My goal is to keep improving and aspire for the next National win”, shared Vishal Garthi, from Holy Cross School & PU College. Vishal bagged gold in the U-18 1500m, at SFA Championships, Bengaluru. He is a National rank holder in 1500m (rank 17th) and has also won silver in the 1500m, at the state level.

Today the PDCSE grounds buzzed with energy as U-14 (male athletes) football enthusiasts exhibited their skills and determination, creating a thrilling atmosphere at the SFA Championships. The day celebrated Delhi Public School East Bangalore, (B) win in the knockout round, with an impressive score of 7-0, against the Tattva school. Simultaneously, at the Sports Authority of India Netaji Subhas Southern Centre, the Athletic arena witnessed a progression of competitions spanning from U-8 to U-18 categories. In the U-14, 600m (female athletes) category, Saadhvi Ravikumar from Delhi Public School Banglore East, bagged gold, clocking 1.56.27 seconds for her sprint. In the same category had Anna Poorna S, RNS International School bagged silver and Raila Guruprakash, Delhi Public School, Banglore East, picked her bronze.

Talking about her first-ever experience at the SFA Championships, Diara Aiyappa M from RNS International School, said, “I’m extremely happy as I have won the gold medal in the U-10 Long Jump (female athletes),at the SFA Championships. My inspiration is the legendary PT Usha, I practice 2 hours every week to improve my skills. I am excited and eagerly looking forward to participating in the 100m race as well”.

Results of Day 2

Sport

Category

Winner name – Athlete & School

First Runner up

Second Runner up

Scoreboard of the 1st Place winners or matches

17th January 2024 – DAY 2

Athletics

U-18 Male 1500m

Vishal Garthi, Holy Cross School Whitefield

Linga Bhupathy, Holy Cross School Whitefield

Lakshya Punia, Delhi Public School Banglore East

2:21:49 sec

U-14 Male 600m

Krisshiv Chandrashekar, St Joseph School Vittal Mallya Road

Aryan Saha, Delhi Public School Banglore East

Jayesh Karthikeyan, Global Indian International School Whitefield

1:52:55 sec

U-14 Female 600m

Saadhvi Ravikumar, Delhi Public School Banglore East

Anna Poorna S, RNS International School

Raila Guruprakash, Delhi Public School Banglore East

1:56:27 sec

U-10 Male Long Jump

Samitr pramod narasimha, Vidyanikethan School Hebbal Bangalore

Zaya Fahad Rahman, Global Indian International School Whitefield

Viraj Prabhu, Vidyashilp Academy Yelahanka

2.89 m

U-12 Male Long Jump

Darshan Sukeerthi M

Jeswin Xavier, Balwin Boys School

Aden Joseph Andrade, Mount Rosary English School

3.82 m

U-8 Female long Jump

Talia Madappa Charenda, Vidyaniketan School Hebbal Kempapura

2.25m

U-14 male long Jump

Shravan Nairudh, Prasiddhi school

Adyanush Patnaik, Delhi Public School Electronic city

Krithik Reddy T, Global Indian International School Whitefield

4.70 m

U-10 Female Long Jump

Diara Aiyappa M, Rnsis

Nikarika Shivakumar Banakar, Global Indian International School Whitefield

Amaira Aruna Nair, Vidyaniketan School Hebbal

2.61 m

Football

U – 14 Boys

Delhi public school

Ebenezer International School

3 – 2

U – 14 Boys

Delhi public school East Bangalore -B

Tattva school

7 – 0

U – 14 Boys

Vidyashilp Academy

DPS Electronic City B

6 – 0

As the SFA Championships progresses into Day 3, the focus will shift to the tennis courts for an exciting kickoff. The day will also witness thrilling football matches and an exhilarating conclusion of athletics. The daily schedule, detailed results of each sport’s competition, will be available on – www.sfaplay.com. For real-time updates, highlights, and exclusive behind-the-scenes moments, follow our social media channels – Facebook, Instagram, Twitter

SFA Championships is poised to make sports accessible for young athletes across the country, thereby empowering today’s talent to become the Champions of tomorrow.