Guwahati, Jul 27 (PTI) The first edition of Assam Youth Olympics, 2022, concluded on Wednesday with the Guwahati team dominating the medals tally and three players sharing the player of the tournament award.
The three top performers at the six-day event were Upasha Talukdar of Kamrup, who won four gold medals in gymnastics, Bivanjyoti Laskar of Morigaon for his remarkable performance in football and Jahnabi Kashyap of Guwahati for her exploits in the swimming pool.
The Guwahati Sports District team reigned at top of the medals tally with a whopping haul of 219 medals, comprising 74 gold, 75 silver and 70 bronze.
They also bagged prize money of Rs 1 lakh.
The second spot was notched by the Sivasagar district team with a total of 69 medals, comprising 25 gold, 22 silver and 22 bronze, and took home cash prize of Rs 75,000.
The Dibrugarh team came third on the medals tally with a total of 76 medals in its kitty, comprising 24 gold, 23 silver and 29 bronze. The team was also awarded prize money of Rs 50,000.
With a packed schedule of sporting events, 4,200 athletes took part in this maiden sporting extravaganza spreading across more than 35 sports that were held at 13 venues in and around Guwahati.
The event was organised by the Assam Olympic Association, under the aegis of the Department of Sports and Youth Welfare, Government of Assam, to provide a professional platform to upcoming talents in the sports arena.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the Youth Olympics has brought back to the fore the sporting events, which had taken a backseat due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He also used the occasion to extend his best wishes to the Indian contingent at the Commonwealth Games and pointed out that sports is fast emerging as a viable career option.
“The Assam Youth Olympics will help scout talents from the grassroots level. The government is working together with the society to scout talent and train them,” Sarma said.
He also stressed the role of sports as a unifying factor and in helping youths stay away from drugs.
Union minister and president of Assam Olympic Association, Sarbananda Sonowal, speaking on the occasion, said the games have reinvigorated the sporting environment in the state and exposed the youth to the brighter side of life.
He lauded the performance of the young players and urged them to carry on with their sporting pursuits for a healthy mind and body.
“This will go a long way to provide a launch pad for the players and athletes from the interior parts of Assam,” the Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH added.